8 Essential Side Dishes for a Delicious Meal
8 Essential Side Dishes for a Delicious Meal
Simple and Easy-to-Make 8 Types of Side Dishes
To help you prepare multiple dishes at once with less effort, I’ve put together a selection of simple and fundamental side dishes. Enjoy the convenience and taste!
Cabbage and Tuna Stir-fry- 1/4 head of cabbage
- 1 can of tuna
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- Pinch of sesame seeds
Stir-fried Anchovies with Walnuts- 100g dried anchovies for stir-frying
- 1 handful of walnuts
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
- Pinch of sesame seeds
Stir-fried Potato Noodles- 2 potatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 1 handful of carrots
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sugar
Stir-fried Fish Cakes- 3 sheets of fish cakes
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp paprika powder
- 1/2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sesame seeds
Seasoned Bean Sprouts- 200g bean sprouts
- 1 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch of sesame seeds
- A little chopped green onion
Seasoned Spinach- 200g spinach
- 1 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch of sesame seeds
- A little chopped green onion
Braised Lotus Root- 300g lotus root
- A little cooking oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 L water
- 7 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 3 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
Braised Black Beans- 200g black beans
- 700ml water
- 6 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
- 100g dried anchovies for stir-frying
- 1 handful of walnuts
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
- Pinch of sesame seeds
Stir-fried Potato Noodles- 2 potatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 1 handful of carrots
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sugar
Stir-fried Fish Cakes- 3 sheets of fish cakes
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp paprika powder
- 1/2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sesame seeds
Seasoned Bean Sprouts- 200g bean sprouts
- 1 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch of sesame seeds
- A little chopped green onion
Seasoned Spinach- 200g spinach
- 1 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch of sesame seeds
- A little chopped green onion
Braised Lotus Root- 300g lotus root
- A little cooking oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 L water
- 7 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 3 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
Braised Black Beans- 200g black beans
- 700ml water
- 6 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
- 3 sheets of fish cakes
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp paprika powder
- 1/2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sesame seeds
Seasoned Bean Sprouts- 200g bean sprouts
- 1 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch of sesame seeds
- A little chopped green onion
Seasoned Spinach- 200g spinach
- 1 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch of sesame seeds
- A little chopped green onion
Braised Lotus Root- 300g lotus root
- A little cooking oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 L water
- 7 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 3 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
Braised Black Beans- 200g black beans
- 700ml water
- 6 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
- 200g spinach
- 1 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- Pinch of sesame seeds
- A little chopped green onion
Braised Lotus Root- 300g lotus root
- A little cooking oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 L water
- 7 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 3 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
Braised Black Beans- 200g black beans
- 700ml water
- 6 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
- 200g black beans
- 700ml water
- 6 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp corn syrup (oligo당)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Start by rinsing the black beans thoroughly and soaking them in water for about 1 hour. This ensures they become tender and absorb flavors beautifully when braised.
Step 2
Drain the oil from the canned tuna. Chop the cabbage into roughly 1.5cm cubes and give it a quick rinse under cold water.
Step 3
Lightly oil a pan and sauté the drained tuna, adding a pinch of black pepper for seasoning. Add the chopped cabbage and stir-fry just until it slightly wilts. Season with a little salt to finish this simple and delicious Cabbage and Tuna Stir-fry.
Step 4
In a dry pan (no oil needed), toast the dried anchovies over medium-low heat. Continue stirring until any moisture evaporates and they become slightly crisp. This process removes any fishy smell and enhances their nutty flavor.
Step 5
Once toasted, sift the anchovies through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any crumbs or dust. This will result in a cleaner taste and texture.
Step 6
In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to create the braising liquid. Gently warm this mixture in a pan, then add the toasted anchovies and crushed walnuts. Stir-fry together over low heat until well coated.
Step 7
Turn off the heat. Now, add the sesame oil, mayonnaise, and corn syrup. Mix everything thoroughly. The addition of mayonnaise gives the anchovy stir-fry a wonderfully creamy and savory profile.
Step 8
For the potato and fish cake stir-fries, julienne the onion and carrots. Also, cut the fish cakes into bite-sized pieces and julienne the potatoes. Prepping all these ingredients together makes the cooking process much smoother.
Step 9
In a pan with a little cooking oil, combine the julienned potatoes, onions, and carrots. Stir-fry over medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender and slightly translucent. Season with salt at the end for a delicious Stir-fried Potato Noodles dish.
Step 10
In a separate pan with a bit of oil, stir-fry the fish cakes and onions over medium-low heat. Once the fish cakes soften slightly, add minced garlic and salt to taste. Just before turning off the heat, mix in the paprika powder. Finish by drizzling with corn syrup for a glossy and appealing appearance.
Step 11
Wash the bean sprouts thoroughly under running water. Blanch them in boiling water for just 2 minutes. Immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and gently squeeze out excess moisture.
Step 12
Wash the spinach well, keeping the roots intact. When the water is just about to boil (you see small bubbles rising), add the spinach and blanch for only 30 seconds to 1 minute. Rinse in cold water and squeeze out the excess moisture to maintain its crispness.
Step 13
The key to perfect lotus root is thickness! While typically sliced 0.5-0.7cm thick, slicing them thinner (around 0.3cm) allows the sauce to penetrate better, speeds up cooking, and results in a delightful crunchy yet tender texture. I personally prefer them sliced thinly!
Step 14
Sauté the thinly sliced lotus root with sliced garlic in a pan with a little cooking oil until they become slightly translucent (about 5 minutes). Then, add all the braising ingredients (water, soy sauce, sugar, mirin) and simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Finally, stir in the corn syrup and cook a bit longer until glossy for a delicious Braised Lotus Root.
Step 15
Place the soaked black beans in a pot along with water, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Stir in the corn syrup at the end and cook a little more until glossy for perfectly Braised Black Beans.
