Soy-braised potatoes (gamja jorim)

A few humble potatoes and some pantry staples are all you need to quickly whip up this side dish. This is simple Korean food at its best.

Credit: Billy Law

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) waxy potatoes, such as desiree, Dutch creams or yukon, cut into 2 cm (¾ in) cubes
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Korean rice syrup (ssalyeot) or corn syrup, glucose or honey
• 1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tsp sesame oil

Soaking time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. Soak the potato in a bowl of water for 10 minutes to remove any excess starch. Drain, and set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the potato and sauté for 4–5 minutes or until it turns a little translucent. Add the soy sauce, rice syrup, sugar and 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) water, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost evaporated. The potatoes should be soft when pierced with a knife, but still hold their shape.
3. Once cooked, stir in the sesame seeds and sesame oil. Serve warm as a side dish or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

 

Recipe and images from Little Korea: Iconic Dishes and Cult Recipes by Billy Law, Smith Street Books, RRP $49.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.