Jengban Mak Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles on Platter)

Brit sent me a recipe for a fantastic looking Korean dish that we both knew we had to try. The recipe comes from a blog that Brit reads of a couple living in The States both of whom are originally from Korea. I later showed the recipe to a Korean friend of mine who confirmed how good the dish is and was excited for us to try it.

For our first time making this, it took us quite a while. We didn't plan things out very well, and probably used every bowl in the kitchen in the preparation, but it was well worth it in the end. I also really wanted to prepare the dish so that it could be authentically presented; the noodles get placed in the middle of the dish with the sauce on top and the chopped vegetables around. Everything then gets mixed together with chopsticks and hungry dinner guests are allowed to dig in.

We doubled the quantities of the ingredients listed below, but unfortunately did not have enough of the red chili paste to double the sauce. While the sauce was still delicious, the complete quantity of red chili paste would have been preferable and will definitely be utilized in the future. We also added in red pepper to our included vegetables, which is not as authentically Korean, but added a nice crunch and color to the recipe.

Jengban Mak Guksu
(Originally posted on the Bap Story Korean food blog)

Serves 2-4

1 box of Soba noodles (we've found that the Annie Chuns brand holds up the best for leftovers)
Cucumber, sliced thin
Carrots, sliced into matchsticks
Cabbage, sliced into matchsticks
Red bell pepper, sliced thin
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced thin

Sauce:
4 tbsp red chili paste
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp plum sauce
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sesame seeds

Garnish:
1 tbsp sesame oil
2-3 tbsp seaweed, shredded (we bought some dried seaweed from Maxx's produce that we rehydrated in warm water)

The important part of this dish is the presentation. Place the cooked soba noodles (according to the box instructions) in the middle of a large platter. Surround the noodles with all of the vegetables. Pour the sesame oil, sauce, and seaweed on top of the noodles. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!