Three Ways to Make Goguma Julgi Bokkeum
A seasonal side dish of blanched sweet potato stems stir-fried in three different seasonings, such as perilla seed powder or gochujang.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This seasonal side dish is made by blanching sweet potato stems, adding broth, and covering them to steam until tender. You can choose from three styles to suit your taste: a nutty version with perilla seed powder, a clean basic version finished with toasted sesame oil, or a spicy seasoned version flavored with doenjang and gochujang.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Stems (1) Ingredients
- Sweet potato stems200 g
- Broth3 tbsp (anchovy broth or beef broth; water if unavailable)
Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Stems (1) Seasoning
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced green onion2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Perilla seed powder1–2 tbsp
Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Stems (2) Seasoning
- Toasted sesame oil1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds
Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Stems (3) Seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)1/2 tbsp
- Doenjang (Korean soybean paste)1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1/2 tbsp
- Soaking them briefly in salt water before peeling, or blanching them lightly in boiling water, is said to make peeling easier.
- The peeled sweet potato stems weigh 200g. Once boiled, they make about two handfuls.
Steps
You need to peel the sweet potato stems first. Peeling them can be so tedious that sometimes you feel like giving up on this side dish. I peeled them plain, but they say soaking them briefly in salt water before peeling or blanching them briefly in boiling water makes the skin peel off easily.
The peeled sweet potato stems weigh 200g. Once boiled, they make about two handfuls.
Add the sweet potato stems to rolling boiling water, and once it begins boiling, boil for at least 3 minutes until the stems become tender.
Rinse in cold water and drain.
Cut into bite-sized lengths...
Place the sweet potato stems in a bowl, add 1 tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), 1 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp minced green onion, and 1 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), then gently toss and mix by hand.
Heat oil in a preheated pan, add the seasoned sweet potato stems, and stir-fry briskly...
Add 3 tbsp broth, cover with a lid, and let it steam for 2 to 3 minutes so the flavors absorb and the stems turn tender. Steaming this way makes the stiff stems much softer. It is also good to let holiday namul (gosari, doraji) steam slightly like this when stir-frying. If you prefer a crisp texture, skip the covered steaming step and simply stir-fry.
Open the lid, season with salt if it tastes bland, and finally add perilla seed powder, stir-frying briefly and evenly before serving.
This variation is identical through step 8 above, but finished with toasted sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil at the end instead of perilla seed powder. If you do not like perilla seed powder, you can stir-fry and enjoy them this way.
Preparing the sweet potato stems is identical through step 5 above. To the sweet potato stems cut to bite-sized lengths, add all the seasonings except toasted sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil—1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 1/2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red chili paste), 1/2 tbsp doenjang (Korean soybean paste), 1 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp minced green onion, and 1 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine)—and toss gently by hand.
Heat oil in a preheated pan, stir-fry briskly, add the broth, stir it through, then cover with a lid and let steam for 2 to 3 minutes so the flavors soak in and the stems turn tender. Open the lid, adjust the seasoning with salt if needed, add toasted sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil, and finish.
Ppunwife's tips
- Add 3 tbsp broth, cover with a lid, and let it steam for 2 to 3 minutes so the flavors absorb and the stems turn tender. Steaming this way makes the stiff stems much softer.
- It is also good to let holiday namul (gosari, doraji) steam slightly like this when stir-frying.
- If you prefer a crisp texture, skip the covered steaming step and simply stir-fry.
FAQ
Is there a trick to peeling sweet potato stems easily?
Soaking them briefly in salt water before peeling, or blanching them quickly in boiling water, makes peeling much easier.
How do you stir-fry them so they turn out tender rather than tough?
After stir-frying in oil, add a small amount of broth, cover with a lid, and let them steam for 2 to 3 minutes to soften the tough texture.
How should I cook them if I prefer a crunchy texture instead of soft?
You can preserve the crunchy texture by skipping the step of pouring in broth and steaming with the lid on, simply stir-frying them directly in the pan.
What can I substitute if I don't have broth for stir-frying?
You can use the same amount of plain water instead of anchovy broth or beef broth.
