Korean foods and dramas have gained popularity in recent years. Something in their culture screams “healthy living”. Basically, Asian people live long lives, and studies show that the food they eat has a lot to do with it. If their food is regarded as one of the healthiest in the world, why don’t more people cook themselves Asian meals?
The truth is, each culture has a unique spice that gives their meal its own flavor and texture. In today’s article, we will look at the Korean spice gochugaru.
Gochugaru can be used to prepare a variety of Korean meals, including kimchi, tteokbokki, kimchi jiigae, and bibimbap. This spice is famous for giving Korean meals their distinct flavor. If you are interested in trying Korean food and don’t know where to find gochugaru paste, this article will show you how to make your own.
Ingredients and Tools For Making Gochugaru
- Ingredients: Dried chili pepper (preferably, of Korean variety). This is the key ingredient in making this sauce.
- Tools: Cutting board, knife, dehydrator (or oven), food processor (or mortar and pestle), and an airtight container.
Drying the Chili Peppers
Sun drying: Sun drying is one of the different drying methods available. This approach has been used to dry crops and other produce in ancient times as well as present-day. In this method, spread the peppers out on a clean surface such as a tarpaulin sheet, tray, or mat.
This stage should be done in a sunny and well-ventilated area. Always check on the peppers and turn them from side to side to ensure that all sides have dried properly. After each day of sunning the peppers, cover them with a net or a gauze to prevent insects from attacking them.
Oven drying: Comparing this procedure to sun drying, it is much faster. You don’t necessarily have to use a high temperature for this quick method of drying chili peppers. Your chili peppers will burn if the heat is set really high. Therefore, you have to first preheat the oven to a low temperature of roughly 150°F (65°C).
Place the chili peppers on a baking sheet or the available oven pan and dry them until they become brittle, which can take several hours. Do not forget to periodically check the peppers to prevent burning or over-drying.
Pro tip: Wear a glove when handling chili pepper. The extract from the pepper can get on sensitive parts of your body and lead to irritation.
How To Process Dried Chili Peppers
First, remove the stem from the dried chili pepper, then the seeds. However, if you want your gochugaru to be particularly spicy, you can leave out the seeds. You have two options for grinding: use a decent processor or a mortar and pestle, depending on what you have available.
You’ll need to ground the dried chili pepper until you achieve the appropriate consistency, which could be coarse, medium fine, or extremely fine. To create a consistent powder, use a sieve to remove larger chile pieces.
How To Make Gochugaru Sauce
Now that your chili pepper is ready, it’s time to make the gochugaru paste itself. For this you’ll need Korean chili flakes, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey/sugar/maple syrup, sesame oil, miso (fermented soybean paste), ginger, garlic and water.
Instructions
Step 1: Measure ingredients using specifications from culinary experts. Then mince garlic and ginger finely.
Step 2: In a bowl, mix Korean chili flakes, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and honey/sugar/maple syrup.
Step 3: Add minced garlic and ginger and mix thoroughly.
Step 4: Add miso to give the mixture a bust of flavor and mix thoroughly.
Step 5: Add water to the mixture and stir until you get the desired consistency. For a smoother paste, you can blend this mixture in a blender or food processor.
Step 6: Transfer gochugaru to an airtight container and store in a refrigerator.
Pro tip: Roast your chili pepper before grinding for extra flavor.
Conclusion
Gochugaru can be used to make a lot of Korean dishes like kimchi, tteokbokki, kimchi jiigae, and bibimbap etc. This spice is responsible for giving Korean foods that particular taste. It is made from dried Korean chili pepper flakes, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey/sugar/maple syrup, sesame oil, miso (fermented soybean paste), ginger, garlic and water.
