You know those times when you discover a new cuisine that so totally “speaks” to you. Well, it happened to me recently with Korean cuisine. And I have been trying a lot of Korean recipes. Here I am today with a Spicy Stuffed Steamed Eggplant called Gochujang Gaji-jjim that I learnt from the famous Korean food blogger Maangchi.
My love for all things Korean started when I started watching Korean dramas (K-dramas). Indians will find a lot of Korean culture and customs very familiar as we follow quite a few of them here in India as well. I was fascinated by their food and my friend Deepali has been instrumental in enabling me to explore this cuisine. She got me Gochujang from the US and then introduced me to Maangchi’s YouTube channel.
Maangchi so reminds me of Tarla Dalal and Nigella Lawson in equal measure because of how of her homely yet passionate way of cooking. She takes pains to explain every dish in detail; be it the ingredients, the prep needed or then the cooking technique. I cannot see how you cannot reproduce any of her recipes.
Coming to this dish of Gochujang Gaji-jjim, it is a Spicy Stuffed Steamed Eggplant recipe from North Korea. I would encourage you to see this video to know the genesis of this dish. I had bookmarked this recipe a long while ago but got round to trying it only recently. It turned out to be such a hit that I will be making it often for my family and friends.
Do also try my recipes for Vegetarian Bibimbap and Gyeran Bokkeumbap: Korean Egg Fried Rice.
Recipe for Gochujang Gaji-Jjim | Spicy Stuffed Steamed Eggplant
Gochujang Gaji-Jjim | Korean Spicy Stuffed Steamed Eggplant
Ingredients
- 3-4 Long, Purple Eggplants (350 gms)
- 3 tbsp Gochujang
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Spring Onion Greens (2 spring onions)
- 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic (3-4 Cloves)
- 1/2 tsp Gochugaru or Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Sesame
- 2 tsp Neutral Oil (I used Rice Bran)
- 1 tbsp Asian Sesame Oil (See Notes)
Instructions
- In wok, heat the 2 tsp of any neutral oil like rice bran.
- Add 1/2 cup finely chopped onions and 1 tsp minced garlic.
- Stir-fry till the onion turns transparent.
- Add 1/2 cup finely chopped spring onion greens and stir-fry for a minute.
- Take off the heat and let the mix cool a bit.
- Add 3 tbsp Gochujang Paste, 1/2 tsp Gochugaru or Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp Sugar, 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds, and 1 tbsp Asian Sesame Oil.
- Mix well.
- Add enough water to a steamer or a pressure cooker.
- Place on high-heat and let the water start to simmer.
- {Optional} Carefully, slice the stem off 3 long, purple eggplants.
- Using a sharp knife, two perpendicular slits in each eggplant, starting from the tip till about 1/2" above the stem. The idea is to keep the eggplant whole while opening it up for stuffing.
- Apply a generous amount of the Gochujang-flavoured stuffing on the inside of each eggplant.
- Place the stuffed eggplants in a large vessel.
- Steam the eggplants for 15 minutes.
- Take off the heat and let the steamer cool just a bit.
- Take the Gochujang Gaji-jjim out of the steamer. You may find that some of the stuffing has settled at the bottom of the vessel. You can simply scoop it up later.
- Carefully, transfer the Steamed Eggplants into a serving dish.
- Enjoy by itself or with some steamed rice.
Notes
- Asian Sesame Oil is different from the sesame oil we get in India. The version used in South Asian cooking is made with roasted black sesame and has a very strong flavour and aroma.
- Gochugaru is the Korean chilli powder and quite spicy. I use the spicy Indian chilli powder. You can even omit this because the Gochujang is spicy in itself.
How to Make Gochujang Gaji-jjim
- Making the Gochujang-flavoured Stuffing
- In wok, heat the 2 tsp of any neutral oil like rice bran oil.
- Add 1/2 cup finely chopped onions and 1 tsp minced garlic.
- Stir-fry till the onion turns transparent.
- Next, add 1/2 cup finely chopped spring onion greens and stir-fry for a minute till the green just wilt.
- Take the cooked mix off the heat and let it cool a bit.
- To this stir-fried mix , add 3 tbsp Gochujang Paste, 1/2 tsp Gochugaru or Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp Sugar, 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds, and 1 tbsp Asian Sesame Oil. Mix well.
- Getting the Steamer Ready (I used a pressure cooker without the weight/whistle)
- Add enough water to a steamer or a pressure cooker. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to take off the weight/whistle.
- Place on high-heat and let the water start to simmer.
- Coating the Eggplants
- This is an optional step. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the stem off 3 long, purple eggplants.
- Using a sharp knife, make two perpendicular slits in each eggplant, starting from the tip till about 1/2″ above the stem. The idea is to keep the eggplant whole while opening it up for stuffing.
- Apply a generous amount of the Gochujang-flavoured stuffing to the inside of each eggplant.
- Place the stuffed eggplants in a large vessel.
- Steam the eggplants for 15 minutes.
- Take off the heat and let the steamer cool just a bit.
- Take the Gochujang Gaji-jjim out of the steamer. You may find that some of the stuffing has settled at the bottom of the vessel. Just transfer it to the serving dish at the end.
- Carefully, transfer the Steamed Eggplants into a serving dish.
- Enjoy by itself or with some steamed rice.
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