SEASONED CHINESE LEAVES

Seasoned Chinese Leaves 배추된장무침

Can I just start this post by saying YUM! Seasoned Chinese Leaves is one of my favourite banchans (side dishes). So easy, healthy and delicious, it takes less than 10 minutes to make and is vegan too. Nice.

Watch how to make Seasoned Chinese Leaves (2m 32s)

Seasoned Chinese Leaves have a savoury sweet and spicy, umami taste. It reminds me of my grandmother. She often cooked this side dish and it never disappointed me. I miss her. She was a wonderful Nanny. This side dish takes me right back to sitting in the courtyard of my grandmother’s house as a little girl. The warm summer evening air. The smell of rice cooking on a wood stove. The cicadas buzzing in the trees. Such fond memories.

My grandmother, my mum’s mum, was a wonderful Nanny. She had 9 children. Koreans used to have lots of children at that time. My Nanny had twenty one grandchildren. Can you imagine having that many grandchildren? Whenever there were family gatherings, the house was fully packed with family members. It was always full of laughter, music, dancing and games.

My grandparents had a huge orchard behind their house. They always had a few dogs in their garden. They had a small pigsty next to their house. My grandparents grew all sorts of fruits. Enormous Korean apples, nectarines, watermelons, melons, grapes, peaches and loads more. Every month, they would send a big box of fruits to all their children’s houses.

STIR FRIED COURGETTE/ZUCCHINI BANCHAN

When I was in primary school, my mum and dad would visit my grandparents in summer and leave my sister and I for a week or so. We used to play hide and seek in the orchard with our cousins. In the evening after dinner, we sat in the garden, played kids’ games while eating my grandmother’s chargrilled corn on the cobs from their own farm.

My grandmother’s birthday was in Autumn. Koreans love Autumn. It is sooo beautiful with colourful leaves in the mountains and the weather is perfect. It is usually around 25 celsius, so, not too hot. There were thousands of Cosmos flowers in the field behind my grandmother’s house. It was as if they celebrated my grandmother’s birthday with her. We visited her on her birthday every year and she would always make us wonderful food.

This side dish is quick to make, healthy and super delicious! I can eat this all day with a fresh bowl of rice. I love to know how you get on with my recipes, so if you have any photos, please send them to me. Enjoy!