Spicy Braised Potatoes (Gamja-jorim)
An incredibly addictive side dish that makes you want more rice! This recipe for spicy braised potatoes is perfect for a summer meal.
📝 Editor's Notes
Spicy Braised Potatoes (Gamja-jorim) is a captivating Korean home-style side dish that truly lives up to its nickname, 'rice thief' (bap-doduk).
Its exquisite flavor, combining sweet and savory notes with a spicy kick from chili, is a true appetite stimulant.
Soaking the potatoes in saltwater creates a delightfully chewy texture, and infusing them with green onion oil adds a deep, appealing aroma that everyone will love.
The cooking process is straightforward, making it an easy dish for beginners to try.
It's especially fantastic for rekindling a lost appetite during hot summer days.
Served over warm rice, it's simply heavenly.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
Selecting fresh ingredients is key to delicious Spicy Braised Potatoes.
For potatoes, choose those with a smooth, firm surface and no sprouts.
They should be free of blemishes on the skin and feel heavy.
Making this dish with new potatoes during the summer will result in an even fluffier and tastier braised potato dish.
For shishito peppers (꽈리고추), select ones with a vibrant color, glossy skin, and a firm texture.
For onions, choose fresh ones with dry, firm skins and no mold on the root end.
🔄 Substitution Guide
You can use other vegetables instead of potatoes as the main ingredient.
Sweet potatoes can be used for a sweet and soft braised sweet potato dish, but their texture will be much softer and sweeter.
If you prefer a cooler and crunchier texture, try using daikon radish (무).
If shishito peppers (꽈리고추) are unavailable, you can substitute them with cheongyang peppers (청양고추) or regular green chilies; just be mindful that cheongyang peppers are much spicier, so adjust the quantity accordingly.
Regular green chilies add a crisp texture and mild aroma.
If you don't have tuna sauce (참치액), anchovy sauce (멸치액젓) can provide a similar umami flavor, though it may have a stronger distinctive anchovy aroma.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
There are three key points that determine the deliciousness of this Spicy Braised Potatoes (Gamja-jorim).
First, the process of soaking the potatoes in saltwater.
This is the secret to removing starch and seasoning them, allowing them to maintain a chewy texture without breaking apart during cooking.
It's crucial not to rinse them with water afterward, only to shake off excess moisture.
Second, the order of adding green onions and minced garlic when making green onion oil.
Start by infusing the oil with enough aroma from the green onions first, then add the garlic later to prevent it from burning.
Finally, sautéing the potatoes over medium heat for about 3 minutes until they become translucent before adding the sauce.
Slightly cooking the surface of the potatoes helps the seasoning penetrate deeply, resulting in an even chewier texture.
👨🍳 Directions
Cut 4 potatoes (approx. 500g) in half, then slice them into bite-sized, not-too-thick pieces so that they can absorb the seasoning well.
In 1 L of water, dissolve 0.5 tbsp of coarse sea salt. Add the sliced potatoes and let them soak briefly while you prepare the sauce, to remove starch and allow them to absorb some seasoning.
Do not rinse the soaked potatoes. Drain them in a colander and shake off excess water thoroughly.
Cut 100g of onion (half of a medium-sized onion) in half, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Thinly julienne 2 tbsp of green onions for making green onion oil.
Cut 50g of shishito peppers (꽈리고추) into three equal pieces. (If shishito peppers are unavailable, you can omit them or substitute with cheongyang peppers (청양고추) or green chilies.)
In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp soy sauce, 0.5 tbsp tuna sauce (참치액), 1.5 tbsp gochugaru (고춧가루), 3 tbsp corn syrup, 0.5 tbsp gochujang (고추장), and 100 ml water. Mix well to make the sauce.
Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a preheated pan. Add the julienned green onions and gently sauté over medium heat to make green onion oil.
Once the green onions start to sizzle, add 1 tbsp of minced garlic. As soon as the garlic also starts to sizzle (garlic burns quickly, so add it later), add the soaked potatoes.
Sauté the potatoes over medium heat for about 3 minutes until their edges become translucent and they develop a chewy texture.
Once the edges of the potatoes are translucent, turn the heat to high and add the prepared sauce. Mix well.
When the sauce starts to boil, add the sliced onion and reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook for about 4 minutes until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked.
After 4 minutes, uncover the pan. If there's still a moderate amount of liquid remaining, add the sliced shishito peppers (꽈리고추) and mix well.
Taste the potatoes. If you prefer them slightly firm, increase the heat. If you prefer them soft and tender, reduce the heat to low and cook to your liking. If you want a sweeter taste, add more sweetener to your preference.
Simmer over high heat until the sauce reduces significantly. Turn off the heat, then add 1 tbsp of sesame oil and 1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds to finish.
💡 Tips
Slicing the potatoes thinly helps them absorb the seasoning better and prevents them from breaking apart during cooking.
Soaking the potatoes in coarse sea salt water removes starch and seasons them, resulting in a chewy texture that doesn't easily break apart.
Sautéing green onions and garlic in cooking oil to make green onion oil infuses the potatoes with a much richer aromatic flavor.
Spicy Braised Potatoes (Gamja-jorim) make a great side dish with rice and are also excellent for lunchboxes when cooled.
📦 Storage & Reuse
Store the finished Spicy Braised Potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days to keep them fresh.
Freezing potatoes can make their texture mealy, so refrigeration is recommended.
When serving, reheat in a microwave or pan until warm.
If the sauce is too thick, add a little water.
Leftovers are also delicious mixed with rice or used as a filling for gimbap (김밥).
🥢 Who This Is For
We highly recommend this Spicy Braised Potatoes (Gamja-jorim) to anyone who loves sweet and spicy Korean side dishes.
It's great for a satisfying meal with warm rice and also makes an excellent lunchbox item for busy professionals or students.
It's a family-friendly dish, and pairing it with a simple seaweed soup (미역국) or bean sprout soup (콩나물국) will complete a harmonious table setting.
🔥 Nutrition Info
This Spicy Braised Potatoes (Gamja-jorim) is estimated to be approximately 250-300 kcal per serving.
Potatoes, the main ingredient, are a good source of carbohydrates, helping to provide energy.
They are also rich in vitamin C and potassium, which can contribute to reducing fatigue and aiding in sodium excretion.
Gochujang (고추장) and gochugaru (고춧가루) contain capsaicin, which boosts metabolism, and shishito peppers (꽈리고추) add vitamins A and C.
However, due to seasonings like soy sauce, gochujang, and tuna sauce, the sodium content may be somewhat high, so it's best to consume in moderation.
Overall, the nutritional composition is primarily carbohydrate-based, with small amounts of fat and protein.
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