Amidst the daily hustle and bustle of school,  international students in KDIS also navigate regularly the joys and pains of figuring out what to eat in a foreign country. We talked to two of them to find out what is regularly on their plates and pick up their special recipes for tastymeals that other KDIS students may also enjoy. Let’s dig in – bon appétit ! 

Hans Nkwati (2021 MDP, Cameroon) 

I routinely cook my own meals and also usually for my “brothers” and “sisters” here too. I always enjoy cooking, and I frequently cook for 2-3 days a week to stock up food for the week. This takes planning, and I already have my system down pat. For the recipe I am sharing, some of the ingredients are from my precious stash that I brought from my country, which I carefully portion to last long enough. For this meal called Fufu Corn and Vegetable, egusi is used. This is ground pumpkin seed, usually common in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Gambia. This is not readily available in Korea, so I have requested this from new students to bring when they travelled here from my country at the start of the Fall semester. In some communities, they eat egusi like a main meal, and as a staple like rice. For me, I eat it with vegetables and meat, served with fufu corn. Try this recipe too when you want to feel the warmth and richness of African culture and cuisine!

Han’s Fufu Corn and Vegetables

Ingredients

1. Dried vegetable leaves 

2. Meat

3. Dried fish 

4. Egusi (ground pumpkin seeds)

5. Chopped onions 

6. Sliced tomatoes

7. Garlic

8. Cooking oil

Cooking Instructions

1. Fry onion in cooking oil for 2 mins, carefully stirring while frying 

2. When it turns golden color, add the tomato.

3. In a separate pan, fry ginger with garlic and dried fish 

4. Mix and cook together for 7mins 

5. Add the vegetables

6. Add salt and seasoning mix (crawfish seasoning mix)

7. Add a bit of water while mixing 

8. In a separate pot, mix the egusi with water to give it a smooth texture.

9. Continue to mix it until it reaches the desired texture- soft and fluffy.

10. Once cooked, wrap the fufu in a plastic wrap and gather all the sides of the wrap to cover the fufu then twist to wrap.

11. Serve the fufu wrap with the vegetables and enjoy it hot.

Narangarav Batsuuri (MPP 2021, Mongolia)

For me, cooking while living in Korea as a KDIS student has been a series of happy experiments. I am health conscious, and I have always preferred balanced, nutrient-filled food, so I like to make it myself. Moving to KDIS, I was both challenged and overwhelmed by the culinary options available. I am used to having a lot of meat with carbs and vegetables, but on a student budget, this was a luxury.  To also maximize my time, I had to be creative and more intentional with my food preparation. After being here for more than a year, I have gotten into my groove in the kitchen and mastered grocery shopping- online and in-store. This recipe I am sharing is my top easy, healthy, default meal- a product of many trials and errors I have enjoyed. In my country, I usually eat meat with rice, but here now, I just mix it with random vegetables, depending on what I find or what is in season here. In particular, I like it with the sweet potatoes because these are usually available year-round in Korea. 

Try this quick and nutritious recipe next time you find yourself pressed for time but longing for a good fill! (PS: sharing this with your roomie is a must, according to my dear roomie!)

Nara’s Mo-Ko (Mongolian-Korean) Meat and Veggies

Ingredients

1. A cup of sliced beef (cubed or bite-sized)

2. Two cups of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower etc.). Fresh ones are also okay, but frozen vegetables are easier to prepare.

3. One cup of sliced sweet potatoes (bite-sized)

4. Two tablespoons of cooking oil

5. One tablespoon of chopped garlic 

6. One tablespoon of sliced onion

7. Salt 

8. Black pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. Fry one tablespoon of chopped garlic and one tablespoon of onion in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.

2. When the garlic turns golden, add the beef and fry for a little bit.

3. Add a pinch of salt while mixing the meat.

4. When the meat is cooked, add in the mixed vegetables and stir fry together.  Season to taste with more  salt if desired. 

5. Add in the sweet potato and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

6. Season with a pinch of black pepper.

7. Serve and eat while it is hot!