"What should I eat today?" When the endless worry over side dishes won't stop, we have gathered 8 side dishes (banchan) you can whip up quickly with ingredients at home. From fresh namul salad and mushroom pancakes to braised beans and grilled fish, this lineup can fill out an entire meal. In this post, we organize the ingredients and measurements of the original recipes exactly as given, and explain the cooking order and terms in a simple way. Any difficult or unfamiliar cooking terms will be explained one sentence at a time so they are easy to understand.
1. Measurement Standards and Basic Guidance Explained
The measurement standard for these recipes is "the number 1 = 1 measuring tablespoon (1T, 15mL), and 0.5 = 1/2T." This means that any amount written as a number alone is all based on tablespoons.
This means that when something is written like "soy sauce 0.5–1T," you should add between half a rice spoon and one rice spoon.
The "anchovy fish sauce" (멸치액젓) used commonly across many side dishes is a seasoning made by fermenting anchovies in salt, adding a deep savory flavor to fresh-salad kimchi and seasoned dishes. This means that the fish sauce is responsible for a "deep saltiness" that salt alone cannot produce.
[Key Terms Explained]
1T (Tablespoon, 큰술): One measuring tablespoon, about 15mL, similar to one heaping rice spoon; 0.5 is half of that.
Anchovy Fish Sauce (멸치액젓): A liquid seasoning made by fermenting anchovies, adding both savoriness and saltiness to fresh-salad kimchi and seasoned dishes.
2. Namul & Vegetable Fresh-Salad Side Dishes Explained (No. 1 & 3)
① Bok Choy Fresh-Salad Kimchi (청경채 겉절이) — Wash 300g of bok choy, drain it, and julienne 1/4 of an onion. Add red pepper powder 3T, anchovy fish sauce 2T, soy sauce 0.5–1T, and minced garlic, olive oil, and ground sesame 1T each. Add minced green onion 3T and sesame oil 1.5T, and toss it lightly right before eating.
This means it is a fresh-salad kimchi where the bok choy is seasoned raw, and since tossing it in advance will draw out water, the key point is to toss it right before eating.
③ King Oyster Mushroom Pancakes (새송이버섯전) — Finely chop 200g of king oyster mushrooms, a little onion, 2 cheongyang chili peppers, and 1 red chili pepper. Season 2 eggs and mix in the prepared ingredients. On a pan coated with cooking oil, place them 7–8cm in diameter and fry each side over medium heat for 3–5 minutes.
This means it is a side dish where mushrooms and vegetables are mixed into an egg coating and fried like small pancakes.
[Key Terms Explained]
Fresh-Salad Kimchi (겉절이): A side dish where vegetables are seasoned raw without salting, known for a crisp texture, so it is tossed right before eating.
Julienne (채 썰기): A way of cutting ingredients into thin, long strips, which helps the seasoning soak in and softens the texture.
3. Mushroom Stir-Fry Side Dishes Explained (No. 2 & 6)
② Oyster Mushroom Perilla Stir-Fry (느타리버섯 들깨볶음) — Lightly blanch 300g of oyster mushrooms and set them aside to drain, then julienne half an onion and a little carrot. Add soup soy sauce and cooking oil 1T each, minced garlic, minced green onion, and perilla powder 2T each, and a little salt. Cover the lid on low heat, and once it boils, stir and fry for 3 minutes, finishing with perilla oil 1T and sesame.
This means it is a side dish where blanched oyster mushrooms are stir-fried with perilla powder for a nutty flavor.
⑥ Walnut Anchovy Stir-Fry (호두멸치볶음) — Blanch 200g of walnuts for 10 seconds and dry them, and stir-fry 160g of small anchovies on a pan coated with cooking oil over medium-low heat for 5–6 minutes. Add water 200mL, soy sauce 6–7T, sugar 2.5–3T, and mirin, oligosaccharide, and cooking oil 3T each to the walnuts, and once it boils, braise over medium heat for 7–8 minutes. When about 3T of liquid remains, add the stir-fried anchovies, and after about 30 seconds on low heat, sprinkle sesame to finish.
This means it is a side dish made by braising walnuts in a sweet-and-salty sauce and then combining them with crisply stir-fried anchovies.
[Key Terms Explained]
Blanching (데치기): A cooking method of briefly dipping ingredients in boiling water and taking them out, which removes harsh tastes and impurities while preserving texture.
Mirin (미림): A sweet cooking wine that removes off-flavors and adds gloss and a subtle sweetness.
4. Bean Braise Side Dishes Explained (No. 4 & 5)
④ Braised Black Soybeans (서리태콩자반) — Wash 250g of seoritae (black soybeans) and soak them for 6 hours, setting aside 600mL of the soaking water separately. Add the soaking water and cooking oil 1T to the beans, boil with the lid open, then cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce 8T, mirin 2T, and oligosaccharide 7T, braise over medium heat for 15 more minutes, and once the liquid reduces, sprinkle sesame.
This means it is a side dish where black soybeans (seoritae) are braised glossily in a soy sauce seasoning.
⑤ Braised Fresh Peanuts (햇땅콩조림) — Put 200g of raw peanuts with the inner skin on into water so they are submerged, add vinegar 1T, boil for 10 minutes, and rinse. Add 1 cup of water, 5 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of sugar, and braise over high heat. Once the liquid becomes shallow, add oligosaccharide and sesame oil 1 tablespoon each and sesame 1/3 tablespoon, and stir-fry.
This means it is a side dish where seasonal fresh peanuts are braised to be sweet and salty.
[Key Terms Explained]
Braised Beans (콩자반): A side dish made by braising beans for a long time in a soy sauce and sugar seasoning, which is salty-savory, glossy, and can be kept for a long time.
Oligosaccharide (올리고당): A syrup-type sweetener that gives a subtle sweetness while adding gloss to braised dishes, and is less sticky than sugar.
5. Grilled Fish Side Dishes Explained (No. 7 & 8)
⑦ Grilled Mackerel (고등어구이) — Sprinkle 2g of salt on 1 cleaned fresh mackerel, leave it for 10 minutes, wipe off the moisture, coat it thinly with 2g of flour, and grill it skin-side first on a pan coated with cooking oil over medium heat. Once most of the flesh is cooked, flip it and cook it through. For mackerel that is already seasoned, skip the salt base seasoning.
This means it is a method of coating the fish thinly with flour to grill it crisp on the outside and moist on the inside.
⑧ Spicy Grilled Spanish Mackerel (삼치양념구이) — Coat 1 cleaned Spanish mackerel thinly with starch and grill it golden on a pan coated with cooking oil over low heat. In another pan, add 1 julienned onion and 1/2 minced green onion, soy sauce, red pepper powder, cooking wine, and oligosaccharide 1T each, ketchup 2T, and red chili paste 0.5T. Add minced garlic 1/3T, a little pepper, and water 15T, simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes until thickened, and serve it alongside the Spanish mackerel.
This means it is a side dish where a sweet-and-spicy seasoning sauce is poured over the grilled Spanish mackerel.
[Key Terms Explained]
Base Seasoning (밑간): The process of seasoning ingredients in advance before cooking, which reduces the fishy smell and lets the seasoning soak in deep.
Starch (전분): A powder obtained from potatoes or corn, which adds a crisp texture and gloss when coated thinly on the outside of fish.
6. 8 Side Dish Golden Ratios at a Glance Explained
| No. |
Side Dish |
Key Seasoning / Ratio |
| 1 | 청경채 겉절이 (Bok Choy Fresh-Salad Kimchi) | 고춧가루 3T + 멸치액젓 2T + 간장 0.5~1T + 마늘·올리브유·깨 각 1T + 다진 파 3T + 참기름 1.5T |
| 2 | 느타리버섯 들깨볶음 (Oyster Mushroom Perilla Stir-Fry) | 국간장·식용유 각 1T + 마늘·파·들깨가루 각 2T + 들기름 1T |
| 3 | 새송이버섯전 (King Oyster Mushroom Pancakes) | 새송이 200g + 계란 2개 + 청양고추 2·홍고추 1 (지름 7~8cm, 앞뒤 3~5분) |
| 4 | 서리태콩자반 (Braised Black Soybeans) | 간장 8T + 미림 2T + 올리고당 7T (불린 물 600mL) |
| 5 | 햇땅콩조림 (Braised Fresh Peanuts) | 물 1컵 + 간장 5큰술 + 설탕 1큰술 + 올리고당·참기름 각 1큰술 + 깨 1/3큰술 |
| 6 | 호두멸치볶음 (Walnut Anchovy Stir-Fry) | 물 200mL + 간장 6~7T + 설탕 2.5~3T + 미림·올리고당·식용유 각 3T |
| 7 | 고등어구이 (Grilled Mackerel) | 소금 2g + 밀가루 2g (껍질부터 중불) |
| 8 | 삼치양념구이 (Spicy Grilled Spanish Mackerel) | 간장·고춧가루·맛술·올리고당 각 1T + 케첩 2T + 고추장 0.5T + 마늘 1/3T + 물 15T |
Table explanation: No. 1 and 3 are vegetable side dishes using bok choy and king oyster mushrooms, where the fresh-salad kimchi is seasoned raw and the mushroom pancakes are coated in egg and fried. No. 2 is a namul side dish where blanched oyster mushrooms are stir-fried nuttily with perilla powder. No. 4 and 5 are bean side dishes where seoritae and fresh peanuts are braised in soy sauce seasoning to keep for a long time, and No. 6 Walnut Anchovy Stir-Fry is also a sweet-and-salty dish close to a braise. No. 7 and 8 are grilled fish side dishes using mackerel and Spanish mackerel, where the mackerel is kept light with salt and flour, and the Spanish mackerel is served with a sweet-and-spicy seasoning sauce.
7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Explained
Q1. Exactly how much is the recipe's "number 1"?
The number 1 is 1 measuring tablespoon (1T, 15mL), and 0.5 is half of that (1/2T), with one heaping rice spoon being roughly 1T. This means you can gauge it with a rice spoon even without measuring tools.
Q2. Why is the bok choy fresh-salad kimchi tossed right before eating?
If tossed in advance, it wilts in the salt and fish sauce, drawing out water and losing its crispness. This means that to preserve a fresh texture, you should toss it right before eating.
Q3. My braised beans are too hard or tough.
The beans become hard if they were not soaked enough or if the soy sauce was added too early, so cook the beans to a certain degree first and then add the seasoning. This means the key is "cook first, season later."
Q4. Why are the walnuts blanched in the walnut anchovy stir-fry?
It is to reduce the astringent (harsh) taste of the inner skin and make them nuttier. This means that one short blanching greatly changes the taste.
Q5. Why coat the mackerel in flour when grilling?
The flour holds the moisture so it grills crisp on the outside and moist on the inside, and also reduces oil splatter. This means a thin flour coating helps with both texture and safety.
Q6. How do I adjust if the seasoning is too salty or bland?
For braised dishes, reduce the liquid further or add a little water; for seasoned dishes, add fish sauce or soy sauce 0.5T at a time and taste. This means you should adjust little by little rather than adding a lot at once.
※ Some background information in this post, such as the measurement units and cooking terms, was supplemented through search, and the amounts may need to be adjusted according to the state of the ingredients or personal taste.
(The table and all content have been kept as in the original.)
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