Korean Braised Burdock and Konjac
Ueong gonyak jorim is a low-calorie Korean braised side dish of diagonally sliced burdock root and bite-size konjac in soy sauce with oligosaccharide syrup. The burdock is soaked in vinegar water to remove astringency, and the konjac is blanched then dry-toasted briefly to minimize its neutral odor. Adding the syrup once the liquid has reduced by half creates a gentle gloss and softens the salt. Sesame oil and sesame seeds finish the dish with a toasted note. Despite using just a handful of inexpensive ingredients, the contrasting textures of crunchy burdock and bouncy konjac make this banchan more interesting than the short ingredient list suggests.
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Instructions
- 1
Slice the burdock on a bias, soak in vinegar water for 5 minutes, then rinse and drain.
- 2
Cut the konjac into bite-size pieces, blanch for 2 minutes, and drain.
- 3
Add burdock and konjac to a pan with soy sauce, cooking wine, minced garlic, and 150 ml water; bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- 4
When the liquid reduces by about half, add syrup and braise for 8 more minutes.
- 5
Turn off the heat, then mix in sesame oil and sesame seeds to finish.
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