Eomuk bokkeum
Stir-fried fish cake
Eomuk bokkeum (어묵볶음): stir-fried fish cake strips with soy and chilli
Busan's fish cake makers on the old docks near Bupyeong market made eomuk famous, and eomuk bokkeum is how Korean homes everywhere turn a pack of fish cake sheets into a quick side dish for school lunchboxes. Strips of fish cake are stir-fried with onion, carrot and pepper in a sweet soy glaze, staying soft and bouncy with crisp vegetable bites. Most children love it, and a pinch of chilli flakes makes a grown-up version. The common mistake is frying the fish cake straight from the packet: its frying oil turns the dish greasy and dulls the sauce. Chef's tip: pour boiling water over the strips and drain before cooking; they soak up the glaze much better.
- Total time
- 18 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz Korean fish cake sheets (eomuk)cut into 1.5 cm strips
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ onionsliced
- ½ carrotcut into thin strips
- ½ green peppersliced
- 1 garlicclove, finely chopped
For the glaze
- 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rice syrup or golden syrup
- 2 tbsp water
- ½ tsp gochugaru (optional)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 10 ½ oz Korean fish cake sheets (eomuk) in a sieve, pour over a kettle of boiling water and drain well.
Step 2: Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Stir-fry ½ onion, ½ carrot and 1 garlic for 2 minutes, until the onion turns translucent.
2 minStep 3: Add the fish cake and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the edges start to colour.
2 minStep 5: Add ½ green pepper and 1 tbsp rice syrup or golden syrup and toss for 1 minute more, until glossy.
1 minStep 6: Off the heat, stir in 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm or cold; keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does eomuk bokkeum take?
- About 18 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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