Hello, my beautiful people! I hope you are doing well. I’m doing well, too. I’m in Tønsberg, Norway, today with my husband and my mother-in-law because my mother-in-law is having surgery. She is going through cholecystectomy, which is a surgery removing the pancreas due to the stones in it. We came to the hospital together this morning and took her to the surgery room. As we are waiting at the hospital, I am writing this blog post about a Korean porridge recipe that I could make for my mother-in-law to have after the surgery. It’s a simple, mild, easy-to-digest vegetable and rice porridge that people make when they are sick in Korea. I wish you all great health, but if you ever get sick, this is a simple vegetable porridge recipe you can follow.
Then let’s get started, shall we?
Introduction to Korean Porridge (Jook)
In many other parts of the world, porridge can be eaten in the morning as breakfast or as a dessert with sweeteners. However, in Korea, most of the time, porridge is eaten when someone is not feeling well. It is considered a comfort food to lift someone’s recovery.
Here are some types of popular Korean porridge called “jook” in Korean.
There are many different types of porridge in Korea.
Types of Korean Porridge
- Vegetable porridge 야채죽
- Pine nut porridge 잣죽
- Black sesame porridge 흑임자죽
- Pumpkin porridge (Hobak-juk) 호박죽
- Chicken porridge (Dak-jook/Dak-juk) 닭죽
- Abalone porridge 전복죽
About Korean Porridge Recipes
Carrots, zucchini, and onions are in many Korean porridge recipes.
Ingredients of Korean Porridge Recipes
Certain ingredients are almost always present in Korean porridge recipes. These vegetable ingredients include carrots, zucchini, and onions cooked with rice and lots of water. Seasoned with some salt, they make the base of many Korean porridge recipes.
Rice as Main Grains
Many types of porridge in the world can have oats, semolina, glutinous rice, or even some oat flour. However, in Korean porridge recipes, regular short-grained rice (often white rice) is used.
Rice cooked with carrots, zucchini, and onions makes such soft-flavored savory Korean porridge.
When to Have Korean Vegetable Porridge
You could have this Korean vegetable porridge whenever you want, but these are the times when people look for Korean porridge. This savory, mild Korean vegetable porridge can comfort you in these times.
- When you feel sick
- When you feel bloated
- When you want something light
Why Try Korean Vegetable Porridge Recipe
1. Easy and Simple
There are many Korean porridge recipes to share, and I’m really looking forward to sharing those with all of you soon.
But to start off, I wanted to share this vegetable porridge recipe as the first porridge because it is incredibly easy and simple to make.
I included more ingredients than the three vegetables—carrots, zucchini, and onions—in the recipe, but these are optional.
2. Easy to Digest
There is a reason why people make this porridge for someone who is feeling unwell. It’s very easy to digest! Cooked for a long time with lots of water, it is soft and easy to chew, light, savory, nutritious, and fills your stomach with warm food.
That’s also why I want to make this vegetable rice porridge for my mother-in-law after the surgery.
Then let’s jump right into the simple and delicious Korean porridge recipe!
Korean Porridge Recipe | Vegetable & Rice Porridge Recipe
Easy Korean Vegetable Porridge Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Take 1 cup of short-grained white or whole-grained rice and wash thoroughly.
- In a pot, take 2 1/2 cups of water and add the washed rice. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Take 1/4 cup of dried shiitake mushrooms and soak them in water. Set aside.
- In the meantime, prepare an onion, a carrot, and a zucchini. Peel the onion and wash all the vegetables.
- Finely chop the vegetables and take roughly 1/2 cup of each vegetable.
- Take out the dried shiitake mushrooms from the water and finely chop them.
- Start cooking the rice in the pot. Bring the pot to a boil and decrease the heat to medium-high to a simmer. Close the lid and cook for 20 minutes.
- Then add the rest of the chopped vegetables to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Add more water to the consistency you prefer, and adjust the seasoning with more soy sauce to your liking.
- Take the porridge into a bowl. Optionally, you can add freshly ground pepper, ground sesame seeds, sliced green onions, or sesame oil as toppings.
- Serve hot. Enjoy!
How to Serve Korean Vegetable Porridge
There are many ways to serve this Korean vegetable porridge, but here are some of the traditional ways to serve it.
1. Toasted Ground Sesame on Top
This is my favorite way to serve the vegetable porridge.
I love to toast some sesame seeds, grind them, and put them on top of the porridge. The vegetable porridge has umami flavors from the vegetables and shitake mushrooms, but the toasted ground sesame seeds can add so much more depth and flavor to the porridge!
2. Sesame Oil
Another way to serve the vegetable porridge is to add a little bit of sesame oil just before serving the porridge. The delicious fragrance of the toasted sesame oil can lift a porridge to a new level!
Best Sesame Oil | My Tips & Top 3 Picks as a Korean
There are ways to find the best sesame oil. 1. Regular or Toasted 2. Processing of the Oil 3. Packaging 4. Quality Ingredients. Here are my top 3 picks and tips.
3. Kimchi as a Side Dish
Kimchi is a side dish that is almost always present on a dining table in Korea. Serve this porridge with kimchi to add more vitamins and minerals to the dish. Also, the sour flavor of kimchi pairs well with the mild vegetable porridge. However, if someone has an upset stomach, you might want to avoid kimchi, as it has chili that can irritate the stomach even more.
Summary of Korean Vegetable Porridge Recipe
Korean vegetable porridge is a simple yet soothing and nourishing dish to have. This Korean vegetable porridge recipe combines the gentle texture of soft rice with the savory flavors of fresh vegetables. The result is both satisfying and healthy porridge for anyone who is feeling unwell.
Versatility of Korean Vegetable Porridge Recipe
As this Korean vegetable porridge has a very mild flavor, it can go with many different side dishes, such as kimchi or a light salad. If you like, you can also add a protein source, such as tofu or meat of your choice. And feel free to experiment with adding other ingredients you want!
My Last Comment
I hope you enjoyed this post about the Korean vegetable porridge recipe. It is the first porridge recipe to share on my blog. This post is dedicated to my mother-in-law, and I hope she gets well soon.
I wish all of you great health again, but if you or someone you love feels unwell, make this porridge with some love and care. That is, in fact, the secret ingredient in this recipe!
My Other Porridge Recipes
Black Sesame Seed Porridge | Korean Porridge Recipe | Heugimja-juk
Try this black sesame seed porridge recipe that is creamy, savory, and comforting. It was served in the royal court during the Joseon Dynasty for a reason!
Other Korean Recipes You Might Like
Mugwort Latte Recipe | All About Fragrant Korean Ssuk Latte
Try this fragrant, soft, sweet, and comforting mugwort latte! It is one of the trendy Korean lattes that are delicious and healthy. Learn how to make it here.
Vegan Bulgogi Recipe | Vegan Meat Options, Recipes, and Tips
Try this delicious sweet and savory vegan bulgogi recipe! The bulgogi sauce can be used for your Korean BBQ or any meat dish. Learn more about the recipe.
Japchae-Bap Recipe | A Festive Korean Recipe
Try this festive Korean dish with lots of colors from the veggies. So delicious and healthy! Learn the best vegan version of the recipe with rice.
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