Swap banchan for your typical Thanksgiving sides

This Thanksgiving, try replacing the usual stuffing and cranberries with these banchan, or Korean side dishes.

Caroline Choe, a Korean-American chef and author of a new cookbook, “Banchan: 60 Korean-American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides,” shares ideas for bringing Korean flavors to a Thanksgiving meal.

The New York City-based chef said that when her parents moved to the United States in 1973, they initially didn’t know how to roast a turkey. “But they wanted their kids to have it so they could tell their friends at school that they had turkey too,” she said.

Her family gradually learned to prepare a Korean-American Thanksgiving spread using whatever ingredients they could find. Two of Choe’s favorite dishes are kimchi mashed potatoes and her kimchi mac and cheese. “It’s a huge mix of a lot of Korean food, but also a lot of American food,” she said.

The book features traditional banchan recipes from Choe’s relatives and a few of her own inventions.

Maple dojang dip

Choe’s father came up with this dip one summer when he wanted a sauce to go with his vegetables. “It was his ‘invention’ to put a sweetener in there that could add its own flavor,” she said.

Thedoenjang, or fermented soybean paste, combines sesame oil and black pepper for a salty, sweet and spicy kick. Choe suggests using the dip for blanched vegetables, or as a glaze for roasted vegetables.

Vegetable anchovy stock

This broth, which can serve as a base for Korean stews, was adapted by the Choe family for their New England oyster stuffing at their Thanksgiving table.

She recommended it as a versatile, flavorful pescatarian alternative to chicken stock. “It can be a base for your gravy or stuffing, or just a cleanser for heavy foods,” Choe said.

Fermentation meets more fermentation in this dish. “I served this at an event and it disappeared in an instant,” she said.

The key is to fry the kimchi to concentrate its spiciness – the more fermented the kimchi, the better. The sharp cheddar and gruyere add a nuttiness and richness that makes for a Thanksgiving hit.

Herbed broccoli salad

Choe’s parents didn’t eat much broccoli until they moved to the US. Growing up, her mother would toss together steamed broccoli, garlic, green onion and sesame oil for a refreshing salad.

“It was just her hand in a plastic glove, mixing everything together in one of those silver bowls,” she said.

For Thanksgiving, Choe said the salad’s light flavors complement any dish. “It can counteract all the heavy action during the meal,” she said.

Smoky gochujang chicken salad

Not sure what to do with roast chicken or turkey the day after Thanksgiving? Choe said this smoky gochujang chicken salad will take care of your leftovers.

“My parents actually hate Turkey,” she said. “They took the leftovers and dipped them in gochujang.”

Instead, Choe developed this salad for their leftover poultry. She said the smokiness of the peppers and spices of the gochujang makes for a flavorful but easy dish for the next day, when you don’t want to turn on the stove.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com