Spicy, Savory Gochu Jangmul (Simmered Chili Pepper Relish)
A rice-thief side dish made by simmering coarsely ground hot green chili peppers with fish sauce in rich toasted dried anchovy broth.
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 →
Coarsely ground Cheongyang chili peppers are simmered in a rich broth brewed from toasted dried soup anchovies to create deep flavor. It is surprisingly mild, making it a wonderful specialty side dish to mix into rice or thin wheat noodles.
- Servings
- about 8–10 servings
- Cook time
- 8 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Dried soup anchovies150 g
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)40, 400 g
- Red chili pepper3
- Water4 cups
Seasoning
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)4 tbsp
- Sand lance fish sauce3 tbsp
- Minced garlic4 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)4 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds4 tbsp
- Perilla oil (or toasted sesame oil)4 tbsp
- Remove the heads and innards from the dried soup anchovies.
- Preparing at least twice as much chili pepper as anchovies gives the right balance once cooked down.
- If you cannot eat spicy food, you can use green chili peppers instead.
- You can also prepare a small amount of onion or mushrooms.
- If you do not like fish sauce, you can use soup soy sauce (Joseon ganjang) instead.
- You can make a large batch without the toasted sesame seeds and perilla oil, divide it into single-meal portions, and freeze it. When serving, just add perilla oil (or toasted sesame oil) and toasted sesame seeds.
Steps
The charm of gochu jangmul is its deep broth flavor, so it is best to use dried soup anchovies.
Remove the heads and innards.
For the main stars, the peppers, I prepared Cheongyang chili peppers along with about 3 red chili peppers for color.
Preparing at least twice as much chili pepper as anchovies seems to give the right balance once cooked down.
Even with just Cheongyang chili peppers, it is not as spicy as you might think, but if you cannot eat spicy food, you can use green chili peppers.
You can also prepare a small amount of onion or mushrooms.
I ground them in a food chopper, but I pressed the button once or twice too many times and they ended up ground too fine.
If you want good texture to chew on, pulse only lightly.
Chop the peppers roughly into large chunks first...
I pulsed them very lightly.
If you grind the peppers too finely, they wilt and lose their texture as they simmer, so grind them coarsely.
Toast the anchovies in a heated dry pan until lightly golden to remove fishiness and bring out their savory, nutty flavor.
Pour in 4 cups of water and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes so the anchovy broth brews thoroughly.
Add the peppers, and once it comes to a rolling boil...
Add the seasoning ingredients—4 tbsp soup soy sauce, 3 tbsp sand lance fish sauce, 4 tbsp minced garlic, and 4 tbsp mirin—and simmer for about 3 minutes so the seasonings and ingredients blend together.
Finally, add the toasted sesame seeds and perilla oil (or toasted sesame oil), turn off the heat, and stir evenly to finish.
If you do not like fish sauce, you can use soup soy sauce (Joseon ganjang) instead.
Ppunwife's tips
- The charm of gochu jangmul is its deep broth flavor, so it is best to use dried soup anchovies.
- If you grind the peppers too finely, they wilt and lose their texture as they simmer, so grind them coarsely.
- Toast the anchovies in a heated dry pan until lightly golden to remove fishiness and bring out their savory, nutty flavor.
- It is delicious when you spoon some over rice, mix it in, and wrap it in dried seaweed sheets.
- Boil some thin wheat noodles, add three or four spoonfuls of gochu jangmul, pour in water, and you have a quick, satisfying meal.
FAQ
I cannot eat spicy food well. Can I use other chili peppers instead of Cheongyang chilies?
If you have a low tolerance for spicy food, you can cook with regular green chili peppers instead of Cheongyang chilies.
Is there anything to keep in mind when grinding the chilies in a blender or food chopper?
If you grind the peppers too finely, they wilt during simmering and lose their pleasant texture, so it is best to pulse them lightly and keep them coarse.
What can I substitute if I don't have sand lance fish sauce or don't like it?
If you find the distinct aroma of fish sauce overwhelming or do not have it on hand, you can season the dish with soup soy sauce (Joseon ganjang) instead.
How do I store a large batch to eat over a long period?
Cook it without adding the toasted sesame seeds and perilla oil, divide it into 1-serving portions, and store them in the freezer. When ready to eat, simply add the oil and sesame seeds before serving.
