I discovered this recipe when our fridge was practically empty. No vegetables, no meat—just rice and leftover potatoes. I eat rice with practically anything, but not alone, so I scoured the internet for simple potato dishes that taste good. That’s when I came across Korean braised potatoes, known in Korean as gamja jorim.
Gamja jorim is a type of banchan—a Korean side dish served at the start of every meal. I remembered always asking for more of this sweet and savory, yet firm and soft potato dish whenever I was at a restaurant. So what a surprise it was to me when I found out that the recipe required only 3 simple ingredients: potatoes (of course), soy sauce, and sugar.
Some versions of the dishwill include extra ingredients like other veggies, mirin, gochujang, and sesame oil/seeds, but the 3 basic ingredients are enough to make it tasty.
So here is a simple recipe for gamja jorim, a delicious, filling, sweet and salty side dish that is ready to go in just 20 minutes!
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
4-5 medium-sized potatoes (around 1.5 pounds)
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of sugar
¾ cup of water
1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil
Steps
- Cut the potatoes into around 1 ½ inch chunks, and soak them in water for 10-20 minutes. (Soaking in water gets rid of excess starch, but I made them once without that step and they turned out fine as well)
- Mix the sauce by combining water, soy sauce, and sugar in a container
- Heat a pan over medium heat, add cooking oil, and roast the potatoes for 5-6 minutes until they start to turn golden
- Add the sauce mixture in the pan, and cover with a lid to boil for another 5 minutes until fully cooked. It should still be firm to the touch, and not mushy
- Remove the lid, and continue boiling until the sauce reduces and thickens. (You want to keep some of the sauce, it goes very well with rice!) Add more water if needed.
- (Optional) Drizzle some sesame oil on the potatoes and stir. That’s it! Enjoy, and serve with rice.
