Spicy Live Webfoot Octopus with Bean Sprouts

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 13

About this dish

This stir-fry combines live webfoot octopus with crunchy soybean sprouts in a spicy sauce.

The octopus is blanched in boiling water for 20 seconds and rinsed in cold water. This step seals the octopus and prevents water from leaking during cooking, ensuring the sauce coats the ingredients without getting watered down. The seasoning combines red chili powder and red chili paste for a double layer of heat, which is balanced by sugar, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Onion and green onion are stir-fried first, followed by the sprouts. Once they soften, the octopus and sauce are added and cooked over high heat for two minutes. Sliced cheongyang chili peppers, sesame oil, and sesame seeds are added at the end, highlighting the contrast between the tender octopus heads, chewy suction cups, and crisp sprouts.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

Live webfoot octopus600 gg

Soybean sprouts200 gg

Green onion½ stalkstalk

Onion½ eaea

Cheongyang chili pepper2 eaea

Red chili powder4 tbsptbsp

Soy sauce2 tbsptbsp

Red chili paste1 tbsptbsp

Sugar1 tbsptbsp

Minced garlic2 tbsptbsp

Cooking wine1 tbsptbsp

Sesame oil1 tbsptbsp

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

Season

Clean 600 g live webfoot octopus by removing the innards, eyes, and beak.

Rub thoroughly with flour or coarse sea salt, then rinse several times until the water runs clear and the surface no longer feels slippery.
2

Heat

Blanch the cleaned octopus in boiling water for only 20 seconds, then rinse it immediately in cold water.

Drain very well and cut it into bite-size pieces so it will stir-fry without releasing too much liquid.
3

Season

Mix 4 tablespoons red chili powder, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon red chili paste, sugar, minced garlic, and cooking wine.

Let the sauce stand briefly so the chili powder hydrates and coats the octopus evenly.
4

Control

Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat and stir-fry the sliced onion and green onion for about 1 minute.

When fragrant, add 200 g rinsed soybean sprouts and spread them out for even heating.
5

Control

When the sprouts just start to soften, add the octopus and sauce, then stir-fry over high heat for about 2 minutes.

Keep everything moving, and do not simmer long if liquid gathers in the pan.
6

Finish

Add 2 diagonally sliced cheongyang chili peppers and toss once more, then turn off the heat.

Finish with 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, and serve while the sprouts are still crisp.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Webfoot octopus and bean sprouts are quickly stir-fried to maintain a crisp and tender balance.
Finish cue: Let the sauce stand briefly so the chili powder hydrates and coats the octopus evenly.
Avoid this: Keep everything moving, and do not simmer long if liquid gathers in the pan.