Hobak Gui (Grilled Squash) with Savory Seasoning
Thickly sliced round Korean zucchini pan-grilled until golden and layered with seasoned sauce, a savory summer side dish.
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 →
Thickly slice seasonal round Korean zucchini and grill it over low heat, then layer it with a savory seasoning sauce to finish. If you let it sit for about 30 minutes, the squash releases its natural moisture, becoming even more tender and juicy. With a pleasant bite and natural sweetness, it makes a wonderful side dish for rice.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Round Korean zucchini750 g
- Red chili pepper2 (small)
- Large green onion (daepa)a little
Seasoning sauce
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 1/2 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)3 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tsp
- Perilla oil2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- If you do not like spicy food, omit the fresh chili and slightly increase the amount of gochugaru.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
The round Korean zucchini is quite large, weighing about as much as 2 to 3 regular Korean zucchinis.
Here are the large green onion and spicy red chili pepper for the sauce.
Slice the ingredients
Cut the round Korean zucchini in half lengthwise and slice it thickly.
Cutting it into small pieces takes a lot of work when pan-frying, so it is much easier to pan-fry large slices, season them, and then cut them to bite-size pieces when eating.
Finely chop the large green onion and red chili pepper, as they will go into the sauce.
Make the seasoning sauce
Add the chopped large green onion and chili pepper to a bowl, along with all the seasoning sauce ingredients, and mix well.
If you do not like spicy food, omit the fresh chili and slightly increase the amount of gochugaru.
Grill the squash
Coat a pan with oil and grill both sides; once the flesh turns entirely deep yellow, it is fully cooked.
Keep the heat low so it does not burn, grilling it so it keeps its pleasant texture without turning mushy.
Spread the grilled squash out in a wide bowl or on a plate, let the steam cool, and spread the sauce between the layers.
After about 30 minutes with the sauce applied, the moisture from the squash softens the seasoning and makes everything moist and tender.
Finish
It has been a while since I made grilled squash.
Slicing it thickly before grilling truly brings out not only a great bite, but also a mouth-filling sweetness.
The seasoning soaks in thoroughly, and even though the pieces seem large, they are not salty, so you end up folding them to eat in one bite.
Grilling takes some effort, but getting such a wonderful rice thief out of a single squash makes it well worth making.
Ppunwife's tips
- Cutting it into small pieces takes a lot of work when pan-frying, so it is much easier to pan-fry large slices, season them, and then cut them to bite-size pieces when eating.
- Keep the heat low so it does not burn, grilling it so it keeps its pleasant texture without turning mushy.
- Spread the grilled squash out in a wide bowl or on a plate, let the steam cool, and spread the sauce between the layers.
- After about 30 minutes with the sauce applied, the moisture from the squash softens the seasoning and makes everything moist and tender.
FAQ
How can I adjust the seasoning if I cannot eat spicy food well?
Leave out the red chili pepper and slightly increase the gochugaru to make the sauce less spicy.
How do I know when the squash is properly cooked?
When grilling over low heat and flipping so it does not burn, the squash is fully cooked once the entire flesh turns a deep yellow.
Is there a reason to cut the squash into large, thick slices?
Cutting it small requires much more effort when pan-frying. Grilling large pieces, seasoning them, and then slicing to bite size is far more convenient, while preserving its distinctive texture and natural sweetness.
Can I eat it right after spreading the sauce?
If you spread the sauce between the layers and let it rest for about 30 minutes, juices from the squash release and blend with the sauce, making it far more moist and tender.
