Spicy, Sweet & Chewy Stir-Fried Squid (Ojingeo Bokkeum) – Golden Recipe
The Ultimate Stir-Fried Squid Recipe for Home Cooking
This recipe is my perfected version of Ojingeo Bokkeum, inspired by ‘Housewife Baek’s Recipes,’ with adjusted seasoning ratios to suit our family’s taste. It’s our family’s golden recipe for delicious stir-fried squid, perfect as a side dish with rice!
Main Ingredients- 1.5 squids
- 1/2 onion
- 6 perilla leaves
- 1 cup cabbage
- 1 green chili pepper
- 1/2 red chili pepper
Seasoning Ingredients- 0.7 Tbsp sugar
- 0.7 Tbsp minced garlic
- 0.6 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2.5 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds
- 0.7 Tbsp sugar
- 0.7 Tbsp minced garlic
- 0.6 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2.5 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Clean the squid by removing the innards and cartilage. Slice the squid thinly into rings or strips. Tip: For extra flavor and better sauce absorption, it’s best to leave the squid skin on.
Step 2
Prepare the vegetables: thinly slice the onion, cabbage, red chili pepper, green chili pepper, and perilla leaves. For convenience, you can mix all the chopped vegetables together in a bowl beforehand.
Step 3
Heat about 2/3 soju cup of cooking oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add about 1 soju cup of finely chopped green onions (or scallions) and stir-fry until the green onions turn golden brown. This creates a fragrant green onion oil.
Step 4
Once the green onion oil is fragrant, add the prepared squid to the pan and stir-fry over high heat until it’s about 70% cooked. The squid will release some liquid as it cooks.
Step 5
Now, it’s time to add the seasoning. Mix in 0.7 Tbsp sugar, 0.7 Tbsp minced garlic, 0.6 Tbsp gochujang, 4 Tbsp soy sauce, and 2.5 Tbsp gochugaru. Stir continuously to coat the squid evenly. Tip: To prevent the sugar from burning, add it first and quickly mix it with the squid before adding the other seasonings. This helps the flavors meld beautifully.
Step 6
Continue stir-frying the squid with the seasonings until well combined. Pour in 1/2 cup of water and stir to dissolve any clumps of gochugaru. Let it simmer and slightly reduce, allowing the flavors to meld.
Step 7
Add all the prepared vegetables to the pan with the squid and seasonings. Stir-fry everything together until the vegetables are tender-crisp and well coated in the sauce.
Step 8
Cook over medium heat to allow the sauce to thicken slightly and the vegetables to soften without becoming mushy. This will ensure the vegetables absorb the flavorful sauce. Finally, drizzle 1 Tbsp of sesame oil over the dish and sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds. Your delicious stir-fried squid is ready to be served!
