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Kongjaban
Soy-braised black soybeans
Kongjaban (콩자반): black soybeans braised sweet in soy
Kongjaban is the shiny black bean banchan that sits in a small dish on Korean tables from Gwangju to Seoul and fills countless lunchboxes, because one batch keeps for a week. Dried black soybeans are soaked, simmered in soy and sugar and finished with rice syrup until each bean is chewy, sweet-salty and gleaming. It is a good source of plant protein and children usually love it. The common mistake is adding the syrup too early: it scorches before the beans are tender and makes them hard. Chef's tip: keep the lid off while the beans cook; the steam escaping helps the skins stay intact and wrinkled rather than bursting.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz dried black soybeanssoaked in cold water for at least 3 hours
- 2 cups waterincluding the soaking water
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rice syrup or golden syrup
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 5 ½ oz dried black soybeans, saving the soaking water, and measure it with fresh water to make up the 2 cups water.
Step 2: Put the beans and water in a wide pan, bring to the boil over a medium-high heat and skim off the foam. Simmer uncovered until a bean is tender with a slight chew when you bite it.
15 minStep 3: Add 4 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp brown sugar and keep simmering over a medium heat, stirring now and then, until the liquid is reduced to about a quarter.
15 minStep 4: Stir in 2 tbsp rice syrup or golden syrup and 1 tsp neutral oil and cook, stirring constantly, until the beans look glossy and the sauce coats them like a glaze. Take care: it catches quickly now.
5 minStep 5: Scatter over 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds and leave to cool; the beans firm up as they cool. Keep in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kongjaban take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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