Colorful and Delicious Gochujapchae (Spicy Vegetable and Meat Stir-fry)
Homemade Gochujapchae: A Delicious Chinese-inspired Dish
Craving Chinese food? Try making Gochujapchae at home! This vibrant dish, featuring tender pork and crisp vegetables, was a big hit with my family. It’s surprisingly easy to make and tastes just like the restaurant version!
Main Ingredients
- 460g Pork shoulder, thinly sliced (for Japchae)
- 10 steamed buns (Hwattppang)
- 2 green bell peppers
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil
Pork Marinade
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp ginger wine (or cooking wine)
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Gochujapchae Sauce
- 4 cups water (approx. 800ml)
- 1 cup soy sauce (approx. 200ml)
- 1 cup oyster sauce (approx. 200ml)
- 2/3 cup cooking syrup (oligosaccharide) (approx. 130ml)
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp ginger wine (or cooking wine)
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Gochujapchae Sauce
- 4 cups water (approx. 800ml)
- 1 cup soy sauce (approx. 200ml)
- 1 cup oyster sauce (approx. 200ml)
- 2/3 cup cooking syrup (oligosaccharide) (approx. 130ml)
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s marinate the pork. In a bowl, combine the thinly sliced pork with 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp ginger wine (or cooking wine), 0.5 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Gently mix everything together with your hands, ensuring the seasonings coat the pork evenly. Let it marinate for a few minutes.
Step 2
Prepare the vegetables: Wash the green bell peppers, red bell pepper, and onion. Remove the seeds from the peppers. Slice all the vegetables into thin, long strips (julienne). This shape will ensure they cook evenly and maintain a pleasant crunch.
Step 3
Now, let’s make the sauce. In a separate bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients: 4 cups water, 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup oyster sauce, 2/3 cup cooking syrup (or oligosaccharide), and 3 Tbsp cornstarch. Whisk everything together until smooth and well combined, making sure there are no lumps of cornstarch. Setting the sauce aside like this makes the stir-frying process much smoother.
Step 4
Gochujapchae is traditionally served with steamed buns called ‘Hwattppang’. You can usually find them frozen in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets. To prepare them, place them in a steamer or microwave them according to package instructions until hot and fluffy. I had some frozen ones, so I steamed mine in a pot for about 10 minutes.
Step 5
Heat 3 Tbsp of cooking oil in a large wok or a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated pork and stir-fry, breaking up any clumps with chopsticks or a spatula, until it’s no longer pink and slightly browned. Cook until the pork is cooked through.
Step 6
Once the pork is cooked, add all the julienned vegetables (green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and onion) to the wok. Stir-fry quickly over high heat, tossing everything together until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Avoid overcooking to maintain their vibrant colors and crunch.
Step 7
After stir-frying the vegetables for about 2 minutes, add about 10 tablespoons of the prepared Gochujapchae sauce to the wok. It’s best to start with a portion of the sauce and add more if needed, rather than overwhelming the dish.
Step 8
Reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir-fry, allowing the sauce to thicken and coat all the ingredients evenly. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed. If it tastes too bland, you can add a little more soy sauce or oyster sauce. If it’s too watery, you can thicken it slightly with a bit more cornstarch slurry (mix cornstarch with a little water). I found the sauce was a bit thin due to the vegetables releasing moisture, so I added an extra tablespoon of oyster sauce to enhance the flavor.
Step 9
Finally, just before serving, stir in 1 Tbsp of sesame oil and sprinkle 1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds over the top. The nutty aroma of sesame oil and the crunch of sesame seeds add the perfect finishing touch. Your delicious Gochujapchae is ready! Serve it hot with the steamed buns for a wonderful meal.
