Joo Won, chef and co-owner of Calong in London N16, presents two Korean-style vegetarian starters: asparagus and courgette pajeon with a soy-vinegar dip, and green vegetable and vermicelli japchae. These dishes showcase how vegetables take centre stage in everyday Korean cooking, providing balance, nutrition, colour, and variety.
Asparagus and Courgette Pajeon with Soy-Vinegar Dip
Preparation takes 5 minutes, cooking 20 minutes, making one pajeon for two to share. Ingredients include 2 large asparagus spears (70g), 1 large spring onion, ¼ medium courgette (35g), ¼ onion (40g), 1 red chilli (optional), 80g standard tempura flour or Korean savoury pancake mix powder, and vegetable oil for frying.
For the dip: 40ml Korean jin ganjang soy sauce, 20ml Korean apple vinegar or rice vinegar, 10g caster sugar, 1 tbsp finely diced onion, and ½ red chilli finely diced. Mix all dip ingredients and set aside.
Slice asparagus at an angle into ½cm-thick pieces, spring onion similarly, courgette into half-moons, and onion into slices. Mix tempura flour with 90ml water to make batter, then coat vegetables. Fry in oiled pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side, flip again for 1 minute. Serve whole, cut like pizza, with dip.
Green Vegetable and Vermicelli Japchae
Preparation 5 minutes, cooking 20 minutes, serves two as a starter. Ingredients: 100g rice vermicelli, 30g carrot, 50g chestnut mushrooms, 80g onion, 20g mangetout, 40g hispi cabbage, 40g courgette, 40g asparagus, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 20g garlic sliced. Sauce: 35ml Korean jin soy sauce, 50g mushroom stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce, 15g caster sugar, 20ml sesame oil, salt, pepper. Garnish: white sesame seeds, sliced red chilli.
Soak noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes, drain. Cut vegetables into ½cm strips. Fry garlic in oil over medium-low heat for 1 minute, add vegetables on high heat for 1 minute. Add noodles and sauce, toss for up to 2 minutes until heated. Season if needed, serve immediately garnished.
Joo Won emphasizes simplicity and preserving natural flavours, using techniques like blanching, sautéing, and seasoning with garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and fermented pastes. These recipes reflect Korea's plant-focused cooking tradition shaped by seasonality and resourcefulness.
