Gyeongsang-do Gochu Jangmul (Simmered Chili Pepper Relish)
A spicy summer side dish made by simmering toasted dried anchovies and roughly ground chili peppers in fish sauce and soup soy sauce until the broth is shallow.
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 dish is made by brewing a rich broth from toasted dried soup anchovies, then simmering it with roughly chopped chili peppers until the liquid is shallow. Its spicy, salty, and savory umami makes it ideal as a summer side dish with rice. It pairs well with noodle dishes, dried seaweed sheets, or mixed straight into rice.
- Servings
- about 8–10 servings
- Cook time
- 5 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Very spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Dried soup anchovies100 g
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili) (or green chili pepper, red chili pepper)400 g
- Water4 cups
Seasoning
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)4 tbsp
- Sand lance fish sauce (or dried anchovies)4 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)4 tbsp
- Minced garlic2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds4 tbsp
- Perilla oilwhen eating with rice
- Prepare the dried anchovies with the heads and guts removed.
- You can use only Cheongyang chili peppers, or mix in some red chili peppers or regular green chili peppers.
- If you plan to store this side dish for a long time, omitting the perilla oil or toasted sesame oil will help it keep longer.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
The charm of gochu jangmul is how the rich broth and spicy flavor come together to awaken your appetite.
It is best to use dried soup anchovies so the broth brews rich and flavorful.
Prepare the dried anchovies with the heads and guts removed.
You can use only Cheongyang chili peppers, or mix in some red chili peppers or green chili peppers.
Chop the ingredients
Place the cleaned dried anchovies into a food processor and grind them coarsely.
The texture of chewy anchovy bits is wonderful.
Roughly chop the chili peppers and add them to the food processor.
Pulse them so they are not ground too finely, keeping enough texture to chew.
Instead of using a food processor, you can also cut them lengthwise into 4 and chop them finely.
Brew the anchovy broth
Add the dried anchovies to a dry pan without any oil and toast them thoroughly so they do not burn.
Toasting them until golden and crisp brings out their savory, nutty aroma.
Using toasted anchovies like this gives you a fragrant broth free of any fishy smell.
Pour in 4 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Just tasting the broth alone, it is deep and delicious.
When making gang-doenjang, preparing your anchovy broth this way makes it the ultimate savory version.
Add ingredients and simmer
Add the chili peppers, and once it begins to boil vigorously, add 4 tbsp soup soy sauce, 4 tbsp sand lance fish sauce, 4 tbsp mirin, and 2 tbsp minced garlic, then simmer.
The liquid needs to remain shallow, so if there is not enough broth, simply add a bit more water as you simmer.
Once the ingredients and seasonings come together and the chili peppers are completely cooked, turn off the heat, stir in the toasted sesame seeds, and finish.
Finish
This is gochu jangmul, salty, spicy, and packed with deep umami.
Toward the end of summer, I used to make a large batch, stash it in the freezer, and take it out to eat for months.
It goes well with noodles and pairs wonderfully with dried seaweed sheets.
If you stir-fry it without water and with less seasoning, it makes a truly delicious filling for gimbap.
Also, if you have this made ahead, you can make steamed perilla leaves so easily without preparing a separate seasoning sauce.
Adding perilla oil right when you mix it into rice elevates the nutty flavor.
If you plan to store this side dish for a long time, omitting the perilla oil or toasted sesame oil will help it keep longer.
I made this as a side dish for rice, but the moment you take a bite, you will need to keep another bowl of rice on standby.
It truly is the ultimate rice thief...
Ppunwife's tips
- Toasting them until golden and crisp brings out their savory, nutty aroma. Using toasted anchovies like this gives you a fragrant broth free of any fishy smell.
- The liquid needs to remain shallow, so if there is not enough broth, simply add a bit more water as you simmer.
FAQ
How can I reduce the fishy smell from the dried anchovies?
After removing the heads and guts, toasting the dried anchovies in a dry, ungreased pan until crisp and golden brings out their rich, nutty flavor and eliminates any unpleasant smell.
Cheongyang chili peppers are too spicy. Can I mix in other peppers?
Yes, instead of using only Cheongyang chili peppers, you can mix in regular green chili peppers or red chili peppers.
When should I add the oil if I want to store it for a long time?
Avoid adding toasted sesame oil or perilla oil during cooking; instead, drizzle it on separately when you mix the relish into rice, which will help it keep much longer in storage.
How else can I use the finished gochu jangmul in other dishes?
You can use it as a filling for gimbap, or easily spoon it over perilla leaves as a ready-made seasoning when making steamed perilla leaves.
