Eomuk Kimchi Duruchigi (Stir-fried Fish Cakes and Kimchi)
Enjoy this rice thief dish, Eomuk Kimchi Duruchigi, which is 10 times more delicious than Jeyuk Bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork).
📝 Editor's Notes
Eomuk Kimchi Duruchigi is a fantastic 'rice thief' dish, a perfect combination of spicy and sour kimchi with chewy fish cakes.
It offers a deep, savory flavor comparable to pork Jeyuk Bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork), making it a delicious meal for the whole family.
The refreshing taste of kimchi combined with the savory fish cakes creates a clean taste without being greasy.
The cooking difficulty is low to medium; if you are familiar with basic stir-frying, you can easily make this delicious dish.
Enjoy it with warm rice for a more satisfying and happy meal.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
The key ingredients for this dish are sour kimchi and fish cakes.
It's important that the sour kimchi is not too sour and is adequately fermented.
Squeeze out the water thoroughly before use to ensure the seasoning adheres well to the ingredients.
For fish cakes, it's best to choose square fish cakes that are slightly thick and chewy rather than thin or easily breakable ones.
Remember to blanch them once in hot water to remove impurities and any fishy odor, which results in a cleaner and deeper flavor.
Onions add sweetness, while green onions and Cheongyang chili peppers add aroma and a hint of spiciness, so make sure to prepare fresh vegetables.
🔄 Substitution Guide
If you want to use other ingredients instead of fish cakes, try chicken breast or pork shoulder.
Chicken breast is lean and low in calories, great for health-conscious individuals.
Pork shoulder can add more rich juices and a savory meat flavor than fish cakes.
If the kimchi is too sour, you can increase the amount of sugar or oligosaccharide to neutralize the sourness, or reduce the amount of kimchi and increase the amount of vegetables like onions or green onions to add sweetness.
If you dislike spicy food, you can replace Cheongyang chili pepper with Kkari-gochu (shishito peppers) for an aromatic flavor or omit it entirely.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
The most important point for determining the taste of Eomuk Kimchi Duruchigi is to stir-fry the kimchi thoroughly.
Sautéing the kimchi in a large pan (wok) with cooking oil over medium-low heat for more than 5 minutes will soften its sourness and bring out a deep, savory flavor.
It's crucial to stir-fry minced garlic with the kimchi to infuse enough aroma.
Another tip is to add sesame oil when making the seasoning, which makes the sauce richer and more flavorful.
Finally, when stir-frying the fish cakes, if the sauce seems too thick, add about 1/4 cup of water.
This prevents the sauce from burning and ensures it coats the ingredients evenly, creating a moist and delicious duruchigi.
👨🍳 Directions
Cut 5 sheets of fish cake into bite-sized diagonal triangles.
Place the cut fish cakes in a bowl, pour hot water over them, blanch briefly to remove any fishy odor, then drain in a colander and let them cool.
Julienne 1/2 onion slightly thickly.
Slice 1/2 green onion diagonally into 0.2-inch (0.5 cm) thick pieces.
Halve 1 Cheongyang chili pepper and finely chop it.
Mince 2 cloves of garlic.
Squeeze the water out of 300g of sour kimchi, stretch it out, and cut it into 0.8-inch (2 cm) thick pieces.
Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a large pan (wok) over medium-low heat. Add the kimchi first and stir-fry it well.
Add the minced garlic in the middle and continue to stir-fry together.
Add the julienned onion and chopped Cheongyang chili pepper, and stir-fry until the onion is about half cooked.
Make a space in the center and add 1 tbsp gochujang (고추장), 1 tbsp red pepper powder (gochugaru 고춧가루), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oligosaccharide, and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Mix the seasoning well.
Add the sliced fish cakes and mix thoroughly until evenly coated with the seasoning.
If it seems too dry, add about 1/4 cup of water and stir-fry well.
Finally, add the diagonally sliced green onion and stir-fry just until wilted. The Eomuk Kimchi Duruchigi is now complete.
Serve neatly on a plate and sprinkle with a bit of toasted sesame seeds to finish.
💡 Tips
The sourness of the sour kimchi balances the rich flavor of the fish cakes and creates a harmonious taste.
Blanching the fish cakes briefly in hot water removes any fishy odor, resulting in a cleaner taste.
If the sauce seems too thick, adding a little water helps prevent it from burning and ensures even mixing.
📦 Storage & Reuse
Store the finished Eomuk Kimchi Duruchigi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
While freezing is possible, the texture of the fish cakes may change, so it's recommended to consume it quickly after refrigerating.
If freezing, portion it into single servings for convenience.
To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes or stir-fry again in a pan over low heat.
Adding a little water or broth at this stage can help keep it moist and delicious.
🥢 Who This Is For
Eomuk Kimchi Duruchigi is a spicy and hearty dish, perfect for enjoying with warm rice, especially on rainy days or cold winter days.
It's also an excellent main dish to serve when the whole family gathers for a meal.
For children, you can adjust the amount of Cheongyang chili pepper or omit it.
Recommended side dishes to accompany this dish include refreshing bean sprout soup or seaweed soup, and plain steamed egg (gyeran-jjim).
Mixing it directly with rice makes it an unbeatable 'rice thief'.
🔥 Nutrition Info
This Eomuk Kimchi Duruchigi is based on 4 servings, so per serving, it's estimated to be about 300-350 kcal.
It contains a balanced mix of protein and carbohydrates from fish cakes, and dietary fiber from kimchi and vegetables.
Approximate macronutrient values are protein 15-20g, fat 15-20g, and carbohydrates 25-30g.
Kimchi is rich in lactobacillus, which can aid gut health, and the capsaicin in Cheongyang chili peppers may help boost metabolism.
However, the sodium content might be somewhat high, so those who prefer less salt should adjust the seasoning.
💬 Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!