Gochujang adds lots of spicy, robust flavors to this simple stew made with summer zucchini and potatoes. You’ll love it is you like Korean stews.
This gochujang jjigae (고추장 찌개) with zucchini is especially popular in summer when zucchinis are abundant and tasty. It’s a family favorite! If you like rich and flavor packed Korean stews (jjigae), such as soondubu jjigae, kimchi jjigae and doenjang jjigae, you should add this gochujang stew to your repertoire.
Gochujang(fermented red chili pepper paste)isa condiment that’s spicy, savory, slightly sweet, and salty. It adds lots of spicy, robust flavors to this simple stew which is made with a few ingredients such as zucchini and potatoes.
You can totally make this stew simply with gochujang, but I like to add a bit of doenjang to add another layer of savory taste.
Variations for gochujang jjigae
For vegetables, zucchini and potatoes are typical for this stew. I also like to add chilli peppers and scallions. Other vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, or Korean radishes (mu) are all great additions to this stew.
In terms of protein, I use clams when I want a clean, refreshing taste of the stew. Other times, we also love pork for a rich, meaty stew. Both very delicious different ways! Canned tuna works well too for this stew.
If using pork (or beef), preheat the pot with a little bit of oil. Sauté the meat, gochujang and doenjang over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the meat is almost cooked. You can add a little bit of water to prevent gochujang and doenjang from burning.
To make it vegan, simply omit the seafood/meat option. The addition of tofu and mushrooms will be great for a vegan stew. You can use vegetable broth instead of water for extra flavor.
As with doenjang jjigae, I use the water used to rinse rice (ssalddeumul, 쌀뜨물) as the stew base. The rice water adds starch to the stew and works as a binding agent between the gochujang and the broth while enhancing the flavor.
Have you tried this gochujang jjigae recipe? Please rate the recipe below and leave a comment! Stay in touch by following me on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
3ouncesclam meat (fresh or canned) or pork(see note 1 if using meat)
1.5tablespoonsgochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)
1/2tablespoonDoenjang (Korean soybean paste) or more gochujang
2cupswater or water used to rinse rice (ssalddeummul), water - see note 2.vegetable broth or anchovy broth is good too
Instructions
Cut the zucchini and potatoes into about 1/2-inch thick bite size pieces. Roughly chop the scallion. Thinly slice the peppers.
If using meat, see note 1 below. Otherwise, add 2 cups of water to a pot along with the red chili pepper paste and soybean paste. Stir well to dissolve. Bring it to a boil.
Drop the potatoes in and bring it to a boil again. Continue to boil for a minute or two. Then add the zucchini, clam meat (unless using meat), garlic, chili peppers and scallions.
Cook until the potatoes and zucchini turn soft. Serve hot with a bowl of rice.
Notes
If using pork (or beef), preheat the pot with a little bit of oil. Sauté the meat, gochujang and doenjang over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the meat is almost cooked. You can add a little bit of water to prevent gochujang and doenjang from burning. Then, add water (or broth) and follow the rest of the recipe.
The water used to rinse rice is commonly used in Korean stews and soups. If using, save the water from the second round of rinsing.
This recipe was originally posted in October 2012. Here, I have updated it with new photos, more information and improvements to the recipe.
Ssamjang is a Korean sauce for lettuce wraps. Learn how to make a basic ssam sauce and a variation made with canned tuna.
What is ssamjang?
Ssamjang (쌈장) is best known as a dipping sauce that accompanies lettuce wraps for Korean BBQ. In food terms, ssam (쌈) means wraps or wrapped food, and jang (장) is a collective term for Korean fermented condiments, such as doenjang, gochujang and ganjang.
Technically, ssamjang is any sauce that’s used for ssam. While there are many different types, it’s typically made with doenjang and/or gochujang as well as some other ingredients. The mixture is primarily used at the table as a sauce for vegetable wraps or as a dipping sauce for fresh vegetables such as cucumbers and green chili peppers.
What is ssam?
As mentioned above, ssam refers to wraps or wrapped food. It’s a huge part of Korean food culture. Historically, Koreans associated wrapped food with good fortune, and there are many different types of wrapped food. This type of sauce is typically used for vegetable wraps, which encompass all kinds of fresh, pickled, and steamed or blanched vegetables.
Although lettuce varieties (sangchu, 상추) are most common, Koreans use all sorts of fresh and cooked vegetables for ssam. Perilla leaves, bean leaves, zucchini leaves, cabbages, and fresh sea vegetables are some of the common ones.
Growing up, steamed zucchini leaves (hobaknnip, 호박잎) were my summer favorite. My family also loves blanched green cabbages as wraps.
Often, we simply enjoy ssam with a spoonful of rice in it with a dollop of ssamjang. However, there’s no limit to what goes into a wrap. In addition to all the meat options, ssam is also delicious with braised fish, grilled fish, raw fish, canned fish, tofu, and so on.
Usually each person makes his/her own wraps at the table. You can also serve pre-wrapped ssambap by making ssam rolls with some rice and ssamjang in them.
Types of ssamjang
You can purchase premade ssamjang at Korean markets, usually stocked side by side with doenjang and gochujang. However, I’d recommend you spend your money on doenjang and guchujang, with which you can easily make fresh ssamjang any time and make many other Korean dishes.
As with most Korean dishes, there are probably as many ssamjang recipes as the number of Korean cooks. However, there are largely two types. The first type is made simply by mixing the ingredients, while the other type involves cooking the ingredients together.
How to make ssamjang
Typically, ssamjang is a mixture of doenjang and gochujang. The ratio of the two is totally a matter of preference, but it’s usually more doenjang than gochujang. For a good balance of umami and heat, I generally use the ratio of 2:1.
What’s added to the mixture is wide open to the cooks as well.
For a quick version, I simply add sesame oil, sesame seeds, and some minced garlic, and mix with a bit of water or rice wine (or mirin) to thin it. Some people also use a soft drink.
If you want to go one step further, add finely chopped scallions, onion and/or chilli peppers. A little bit of sugar or oligodang (or honey) is also nice to balance out the saltiness of doenjang and gochujang.
Sometimes, I also mix in finely chopped nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and/or pine nuts. The addition of nuts gives ssamjang a nice nutty flavor while adding a crunchy texture.
How to make cooked ssamjang
This type of ssamjang is also very popular in Korea. It’s a great way to add protein and other vegetables to make it more substantial and delicious. The resulting sauce tastes less salty, so you can use more for each wrap or dip.
To make it, you basically cook aromatic vegetables such as garlic, onion, and scallions as well as your choice of protein and/or other vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, etc. Then, stir in doenjang and gochujang. Canned tuna (chamchi 참치), ground meat and tofu are popular protein choices.
I’m showing both types of ssamjang recipes here and how you can make variations for each type.
Have you tried this ssamjang recipe? Please rate the recipe below and leave a comment! Stay in touch by following me on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
1tablespoongochujang 고추장 (Korean red chili pepper paste)
1 tablespoonsugar (or honey or oligodang)
1tablespoonsesame oil
2teaspoonssesame seeds
1tablespooncooking oil
Instructions
For basic ssamjang
Combine all the ingredients and mix well until everything is well incorporated.
If using optional ingredients, prepare the ingredients, combine and mix everything well.
For tuna ssamjang
Preheat a small pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, scallion and garlic and stir fry until the onion is cooked.
Add the tuna, doenjang, gochujang and the remaining ingredients. Stir well for a few minutes until everything is well incorporated. You can stir in some water or rice wine (or mirin) if the sauce seems dry (2 to 3 tablespoons).
Notes
You can add other canned fish. Also, substitute tuna with ground meat or crushed tofu.
Since lots of people are job-searching right now, here’s a round-up of some of the most key job-searching advice on this site.
Resumes and Cover Letters
The first thing to know is, if you’re not getting interviews, you probably need to fix your resume and cover letter.
If you’re thinking your materials are fine, know this: Very frequently, people who are struggling to get interviews tell me they’re confident that their resume and cover letter aren’t the problem since they’ve had good feedback about them. But when I ask to see them, nearly always they are the problem. The people who told them that they were good were wrong — they didn’t have the experience or the insight to know what would make a really great resume or letter. So these job-seekers have been continuing to apply with mediocre materials and are frustrated because they can’t figure out why they’re not getting interviews!
This is highly likely to be true for you as well if (1) your resume mainly lists your job duties rather than talking about the outcomes you achieved at each job, and/or (2) your cover letter basically summarizes the information in your resume (in which case it’s not adding anything at all to your application).
That will get you started on the basics! If you want more detailed guidance, there’s much more in my e-book, How To Get a Job: Secrets of a Hiring Manager, where I give you step-by-step help through every stage of your job search, explaining at each step what a hiring manager is thinking and what they want to see from you. Learn more here.
Image: Guerilla Games
