Refreshing Gaji Naengchae (Chilled Eggplant Salad)
A refreshing summer side dish of fried eggplant served with a chilled, savory soy dressing.
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 side dish features eggplant briefly fried in oil for about 1 minute to preserve its natural, vibrant color, paired with a sweet and tangy special soy dressing. Rich kelp-infused broth and the chilled sauce come together, making it perfect to enjoy refreshingly in the hot summer.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Cook time
- 1 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Eggplant2
- Red chili pepper1
- Scallions (jjokpa)2 roots
- Grated radish juice2 tbsp
Sauce
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))3 tbsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Onion juice1 tbsp
- Dried kelp (dasima) infused water2 tbsp
- This is water made by steeping a 5cm square piece of dried kelp (dasima) in 1 cup of bottled water for 30 minutes.
- A little large green onion instead of scallions... garlic chives are great too.
Steps
1 tbsp of mirin is missing from the seasoning picture. Make sure to prepare it.
Cut the eggplant into 3 pieces, cut each in half lengthwise, and make slits leaving a little connected at the end.
Finely chop the red chili pepper, and thinly slice the scallions. A little large green onion instead of scallions... garlic chives are great too.
Grate the radish and onion on a grater to prepare 2 tbsp grated radish juice and 1 tbsp onion juice.
The grated radish juice is used as a garnish... and the onion juice goes into the sauce.
Add all the sauce ingredients, mix well until the sugar dissolves completely, and place in the refrigerator to chill.
Fry in enough oil to submerge the eggplant for about 1 minute.
Frying can be a bit of a hassle, but it preserves the natural color of the eggplant, so it looks pretty when finished.
Drain the oil in a sieve or blot once more on paper towels.
Let it cool completely.
Place the eggplant on a plate...
Pour over the sauce, chill the whole plate in the refrigerator,
and just before serving, garnish with scallions, red chili pepper, and grated radish juice to enjoy.
Ppunwife's tips
- When making the sauce, using a rich broth like this adds much more umami than using plain water.
- Instead of putting the dried kelp in whole, cutting it into small pieces helps it infuse much better.
- Frying can be a bit of a hassle, but it preserves the natural color of the eggplant, so it looks pretty when finished.
FAQ
Can I substitute another vegetable if I don't have scallions?
Using a little large green onion instead of scallions, or using garlic chives, also works very well.
Is there a way to infuse kelp broth more richly and quickly?
Instead of adding the dried kelp whole, cutting it into small pieces and soaking it in water extracts the savory umami much better.
Why is the eggplant fried in oil instead of steamed?
Briefly frying it in oil preserves the eggplant's unique, vibrant purple color, making the finished dish look beautiful.
What is the proper oil temperature for frying the eggplant? AI-generated
Generally, it is best to submerge the eggplant in oil preheated to around 170-180 °C and fry it quickly.
