Korean Soy-Braised Soybeans
Quick answer
- Total time
- 520 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Ingredients
- 6
About this dish
Each bean ends up with a clear, glossy shell of soy and sugar syrup, salty first and then nutty as you bite through.
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Known in Korea as kongjorim or kongjaban, it works with black seoritae beans or yellow soybeans. The beans are soaked and boiled until soft before they ever meet the sauce. That keeps the braising short while the seasoning still reaches the center. Kept in a sealed container in the fridge, it is a classic make-ahead banchan for rice bowls and lunch boxes.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Rinse 200 g dried soybeans under running water and remove any floating skins or debris.
Cover with at least three times their volume of cold water and soak for 8 hours or overnight, until the beans look swollen and evenly hydrated.
- 2
Drain off the soaking water, add plenty of fresh water, and set the pot over medium-high heat.
Boil for about 20 minutes, then press one bean between your fingers to check that the center is tender, not chalky or hard.
- 3
Discard the boiling water and return the drained beans to the pot.
Add 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 300 ml water, then heat over medium heat while stirring until the sugar dissolves and the liquid begins to boil.
- 4
When the liquid starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and leave the pot uncovered.
Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring from the bottom now and then so the beans do not scorch as the sauce concentrates.
- 5
Once the braising liquid drops below half the height of the beans, stir in 2 tablespoons corn syrup.
Simmer for 5 more minutes on low heat, until the glaze turns clear and clings evenly to the surface of each bean.
- 6
Turn off the heat while a small amount of sauce still remains at the bottom, then fold in 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
Let the beans cool, transfer to a sealed container, and refrigerate for serving with rice or lunch boxes.