Korean Gaji Dwaejigogi Bokkeum (Eggplant Pork Stir-fry)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 25 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
Gaji-dwaejigogi-bokkeum is a Korean stir-fry of eggplant and thinly sliced pork seasoned with garlic and fresh chili.
Read more
The eggplant absorbs oil and sauce as it cooks, turning silky and melding seamlessly with the pork. Garlic infuses the dish with an intense aroma while the chili adds a clean, sharp heat throughout. Heat management is the key technique: cooking over medium or low heat draws too much moisture from the eggplant and turns the stir-fry into a braise, so keeping the flame high from the start is what gives the eggplant a lightly seared exterior. A combination of soy sauce and gochujang balances salt and spice, and a final drizzle of sesame oil rounds out the flavor with a nutty finish. It is especially flavorful in summer when eggplant is at its seasonal peak, and it is substantial enough to serve over rice as a complete meal.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Halve 280 g eggplant lengthwise, slice it into 1 cm pieces, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Let it stand for 5 minutes, then lightly blot the moisture so the pieces sear instead of splattering in the pan.
- 2Season
Slice 180 g pork shoulder about 5 mm thick so it cooks quickly with the eggplant.
Toss it with 0.5 tablespoon soy sauce and 0.5 tablespoon minced garlic, then marinate for 5 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
- 3Season
Thinly slice 80 g onion and cut 1 red chili on the diagonal so both can go in without slowing the stir-fry.
Prepare the sauce with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
- 4Control
Heat 1.5 tablespoons cooking oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat until it moves easily across the surface.
Spread in the pork and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the outside turns opaque and lightly browned.
- 5Heat
Add the onion and eggplant, raise the heat to high, and stir-fry briskly for about 3 minutes.
Keep the pieces moving; when the eggplant turns glossy and the edges lightly sear, do not lower the heat.
- 6Finish
Add the remaining 0.5 tablespoon minced garlic and the prepared sauce, then stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce coats the pork and eggplant. Mix in the red chili and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, then serve as soon as the eggplant is tender.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Spongy eggplant absorbs savory pork juices and garlic aroma in this Gaji-dwaejigogi-bokkeum.
- Finish cue
- Mix in the red chili and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, then serve as soon as the eggplant is tender.
- Avoid this
- Use high heat and short cooking to keep eggplant glossy, not mushy.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
25min, 10 ingredients
Category median
25min, 8 ingredients
Based on 220 recipes
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