Spicy Korean Curry Rice with Gochugaru
Flavorful Korean Curry Rice with a Kick from Gochugaru
After a busy day catching up on tasks, time just flew by! It felt like winter when I opened the window, but it was just cold outside. I quickly made curry rice for dinner after a late grocery run, as it’s a simple and satisfying meal. This recipe adds a touch of Korean chili powder (gochugaru) for an extra spicy kick, making it perfect for a cozy evening.
Main Ingredients- 1 packet Curry powder (store-bought)
- 250g Pork, cut for curry
- 1/2 Onion
- 1 Potato
- 1/3 Zucchini
- A little Carrot
- 1 bowl Cooked rice
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Begin by preparing the pork. Place 250g of curry-cut pork in a bowl. Season it with a pinch of salt, a dash of black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of cooking wine. Gently mix everything together to marinate the pork. The cooking wine will help tenderize the meat and remove any porky odors.
Step 2
Next, prepare your vegetables. You’ll need 1 potato, 1/2 onion, 1/3 zucchini, and a small amount of carrot. Dice them into roughly 1 to 1.5 cm cubes so they cook evenly and blend well into the curry. While carrots are sometimes picked out by picky eaters, they add essential flavor and color to curry rice. Cutting them small ensures they’re integrated into the dish, making them less noticeable for those who dislike them.
Step 3
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until they become translucent and slightly softened. Then, add the marinated pork to the pan and stir-fry with the onions until the pork is no longer pink on the outside. Sautéing the onions and pork first builds a deeper flavor base for the curry.
Step 4
Once the pork and onions are nicely sautéed, pour in a generous amount of water. I like to add a bit more water than usual to ensure a good curry consistency. Bring the water to a boil, then add the diced potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. Continue to cook until all the vegetables are tender.
Step 5
When the vegetables are almost cooked through, stir in 1 packet of your chosen curry powder and 1 tablespoon of gochugaru for that extra spicy flavor. Make sure to dissolve the curry powder completely to avoid lumps. While I sometimes sauté vegetables in perilla oil for an extra layer of flavor, today we’re focusing on the spicy kick from gochugaru for a delicious variation.
Step 6
Even with just 1 tablespoon, the gochugaru adds a noticeable and pleasant spiciness. Most store-bought curries come in mild, medium, or hot. Adding gochugaru to a medium-spicy curry powder creates a fantastic balance of heat that I find more enjoyable than using a very hot curry powder alone.
Step 7
If it were earlier in the day, I would have happily mixed a full bowl of rice with the curry. But since it’s later, I just tasted it with a spoonful of rice. For my child, I’m preparing a sunny-side-up egg to place on top of the curry rice, making it a more complete and appealing meal.
Step 8
To serve, spread a bowl of cooked rice and generously ladle the hot curry over it. And there you have it – a delicious and satisfying homemade curry rice, ready to be enjoyed!
