Spicy Aehobak Jjigae (Zucchini Stew) with Pork
A rich and refreshing stew made without gochujang, using stir-fried gochugaru and 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 →
Stir-frying gochugaru instead of using gochujang creates a clean, refreshing, and deep broth without any heaviness. Packed with pork and julienned Korean zucchini, it is delicious ladled over rice like gukbap. Add Cheongyang chili pepper to taste, and it also makes a wonderfully spicy hangover soup.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Korean zucchini (aehobak)1
- Pork300 g
- Carrota little
- Large green onion (daepa)white part
- Anchovy broth4 cups
Seasoning
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)3 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Sand lance fish sauce (or dried anchovies)1 tbsp
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- The carrot is just for color, so you can skip it; onion was left out, but adding about 1/2 of an onion is also great.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
I prepared 300 g pork, 1 Korean zucchini (aehobak), the white part of large green onion (daepa), and a little carrot.
The carrot is just for color, so you can skip it; onion was left out, but adding about 1/2 of an onion is also great.
Cut the ingredients
Slice the Korean zucchini diagonally and then cut it into thick matchsticks so it keeps its texture.
Cut the carrot into thinner matchsticks than the zucchini.
Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and finely slice the large green onion for the green onion oil.
Stir-fry the pork in green onion oil
In an oiled pan, add the large green onion and 1 tbsp minced garlic to release their aroma, then add the pork, 3 tbsp gochugaru, 2 tbsp mirin, and 1 tbsp soup soy sauce, and stir-fry well.
Stir-fry so the pork cooks through without burning the gochugaru.
Adding mirin and soup soy sauce removes any gaminess from the meat while seasoning it as it cooks.
Simmer
Pour in 4 cups of anchovy broth, add 2 tbsp of sand lance fish sauce to season the broth, and once it begins to boil...
Add the zucchini and carrot and simmer until thoroughly cooked.
I tasted it and found it slightly bland, so I adjusted the seasoning with 1 tbsp tuna extract sauce, which also adds extra umami.
I wanted to eat it like gukbap, so I put rice in a bowl and ladled in a good amount of the broth and toppings.
Finish
It looks very spicy, but since no Cheongyang chili pepper was added, it is only moderately spicy.
Even people who cannot eat spicy food or children should find this level of heat quite manageable.
Even though I mostly just used Korean zucchini and pork, the broth is rich and truly delicious.
If you add 1 to 2 Cheongyang chili peppers and simmer it spicy, it would make a fantastic hangover soup.
With the rice mixed right in, I just grabbed a spoon and cleared the whole bowl nonstop.
This stew is a real rice thief.
Friends, I know you have Korean zucchini in your fridge.
How about a simple Korean zucchini stew for tonight's soup dish?
You can enjoy it alongside rice like a regular stew, or serve it like gukbap as a one-bowl meal.
Ppunwife's tips
- Adding mirin and soup soy sauce removes any gaminess from the meat while seasoning it as it cooks.
- If you add 1 to 2 Cheongyang chili peppers and simmer it spicy, it would make a fantastic hangover soup.
FAQ
Can I use a different fish sauce instead of sand lance fish sauce?
You can substitute anchovy fish sauce to adjust the seasoning.
What should I do if I want to make it spicier?
You can slice and add 1 to 2 Cheongyang chili peppers to make it much sharper and spicier.
Can I adjust the vegetables like carrot or onion?
Carrot is used mainly for color, so you can omit it, and you can also add about half an onion according to your preference.
