Steamed shishito peppers Kkwarigochu-jjim 꽈리고추찜

I’m happy to introduce you to another delicious Korean side dish called kkwarigochu-jjim. Kkwarigochu are known as shishito peppers. The light green and thin-walled green peppers are small and sweet and milder than most, so Korean cuisine uses the peppers whole.

When I make my kkwarigochujjim, it never lasts long even though I make a lot of it. I can’t help eating and eating it until it’s gone. I eat it as a snack! I love the texture of the side dish.

It’s popular for making doshirak (lunchboxes). I’ll also show you how to arrange a real Korean dosirak.

Ingredients

Kkwarigochu (shishito peppers), flour, garlic, toasted sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, green onions, dried anchovies, soy sauce, honey, and hot pepper flakes.

Directions

1. Prepare 300 grams (about 10 ounce : 0.7 pound) of kkwarigochu and remove the stems from each pepper.
2. Wash the peppers and strain them.
3. Place the strained peppers in a large bowl and add 3 tbs flour (use 1 tbs flour for every 100 grams of kkwarigochu). Mix it up with your hands until the peppers are coated in flour.
4. Put 1 cup of water in a steamer pot and boil it over high heat.
5. After the water boils for a few minutes, put the peppers into the steamer and steam for 5 minutes over high heat.
   *tip: Don’t overcook them, otherwise they’ll turn out mushy
6. Turn off the heat, take off the lid, and set aside.
7. Put a pan on the stove over medium heat.
8. Add 1 ts toasted sesame oil and 2 cloves of minced garlic to the heated pan. Stir for a few seconds with a wooden spoon.
9. Add 6 large dried anchovies with the heads and guts removed and stir for 10 seconds.
10. Add ¼ cup water, 3 tbs soy sauce, and 1 ts honey (or sugar) and stir.
11. Lower the heat and simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes.
12. Add 3 ts hot pepper flakes and mix it up with a wooden spoon.
    *tip: The amount of hot pepper flakes you use depends on your taste. Use 1 to 3 ts to make it spicy, or none at all for a non-spicy version
13. Add the steamed peppers to the sauce and mix it up well with a wooden spoon. Mix for about 1 minute.
14. Turn off the heat and add 2 chopped green onions and 1 ts toasted sesame oil. Mix it together.
15. Transfer some to a plate and sprinkle roasted sesame seeds on top before serving.

Serve with rice. The leftover can be stored in the fridge up to 2-3 days.

You wanna make the same dosirak as I did in the video? Here you go!

Seasoned seaweed : Doljabanmuchim (or gimjabanmuchim)

Seasoned dried shredded squid: Ojingeochaemuchim