Korean Soy Braised Konjac

Quick answer

Total time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Gonnyak-jorim is a braised konjac banchan seasoned with soy sauce, rice syrup, gochugaru, and garlic, valued mainly for its satisfying chew and near-zero calorie count.

Konjac carries a faint lime-water odor from its processing, and blanching it in boiling water for two minutes removes that smell before any seasoning is applied. Draining thoroughly and then dry-toasting the pieces in a pan without oil evaporates residual moisture from the surface, creating a drier exterior that the sauce can actually grip. Scoring the konjac in a crosshatch pattern before cooking solves its fundamental flavor problem: the dense, non-porous texture resists absorption, but the scored grooves pool the sauce and hold it in place so the coating sticks. Rice syrup in the sauce builds a glossy, slightly sticky finish as the liquid reduces. The finished pieces are sweet, salty, and faintly spicy with a firm, springy bite that makes them one of the more filling low-calorie side dishes in Korean cuisine.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

konjac350 gg

soy sauce2½ tbsptbsp

water150 mlml

oligosaccharide syrup1½ tbsptbsp

minced garlic1 tsptsp

cooking wine1 tbsptbsp

sesame oil1 tsptsp

sesame seeds1 tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Control

Cut 350 g konjac into bite-size pieces, then score both sides lightly in a crosshatch pattern.

Keep the cuts shallow so the pieces hold together while simmering but still catch the sauce in the grooves.
2

Heat

Drop the konjac into boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes, then drain well in a colander.

This removes the lime-water smell and keeps the final braise from tasting muddy or flat.
3

Control

Heat a dry pan over medium heat and toast the drained konjac for 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir often until the surface looks drier, because excess moisture prevents the soy sauce mixture from clinging.
4

Control

Add 2.5 tbsp soy sauce, 150 ml water, 1.5 tbsp oligosaccharide syrup, 1 tsp minced garlic, and 1 tbsp cooking wine to the pan.

Bring to a steady boil over medium heat before adding the konjac back.
5

Control

When the sauce boils, add the konjac and lower the heat to medium-low.

Simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally so the sauce reaches the scored grooves evenly.
6

Season

Turn off the heat when almost no liquid remains and the konjac looks glossy.

Mix in 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp sesame seeds, then cool completely so the seasoning settles before serving.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Konjac blanched to remove its lime odor, then braised until oligosaccharide reduces into a glossy coat.
Finish cue: Turn off the heat when almost no liquid remains and the konjac looks glossy.
Storage and reheating: Mix in 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp sesame seeds, then cool completely so the seasoning settles before serving.