Ingredient: sesame seeds

I came across this recipe by The Hairy Bikers,  made with octopus. It looked and sounded delicious, and similar to something we had eaten recently in a local Korean restaurant. Keen to try it at home, I used squid, as frozen octopus is hard to come by.   Squid is an excellent seafood to eat – high in protein and sustainable.

This is a quick dish and is easily adaptable by changing the veggies, depending on what you have in stock. All types of beans, mangetout, snow peas & celery could be used in lieu of carrots and mushrooms.

Gochujang is a Korean red chilli paste, with a miso base. Nutritious and a great fridge standby.

(My apologies for the poor photo – we ate the meal in a rush, so don’t have a good photo of the finished dish!)

Print Recipe

Spicy Korean squid stir fry

A simple stir-fry, made interesting with the addition of a Korean chilli paste. An easy upgrade to a weekday dinner. Serve with steamed rice and veggies to complete the meal.

Cuisine

Oriental

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

For the stir-fry

• 250-300 g baby squid
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small onion sliced
• 1 large carrot thinly sliced
• big handful mushroom sliced
• 4-5 spring onions cut 2" thin strips lengthways (green and white parts separately)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• sprinkling sesame seeds for garnishing

Spice mix:

• 3 garlic cloves grated
• 10 g fresh ginger grated
• 2-3 teaspoons gochujang Korean red chilli paste
• 2 teaspoons gochugaru Korean red chilli powder or chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon golden syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kikkoman soy sauce

Cuisine Oriental Prep Time 15 min Cook Time 10 minutes Servings Ingredients For the stir-fry 250-300 g baby squid 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 small onion sliced 1 large carrot thinly sliced big handful mushroom sliced 4-5 spring onions cut 2" thin strips lengthways (green and white parts separately) 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil sprinkling sesame seeds for garnishing Spice mix: 3 garlic cloves grated 10 g fresh ginger grated 2-3 teaspoons gochujang Korean red chilli paste 2 teaspoons gochugaru Korean red chilli powder or chilli flakes 1 teaspoon golden syrup or honey 1 teaspoon mirin 1 1/2 teaspoons Kikkoman soy sauce

Instructions

1. To prepare the squid, separate the tentacles and then slit open the squid pouch. Lightly score the reverse side (inside of pouch) in a diamond pattern, and then cut each pouch into small squares of about ¾" each.

   
2. To make the spice paste, put all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well and set aside.

   
3. Place a frying pan or wok over the heat and add the vegetable oil. Fry the sliced onion together with the white parts of the spring onions for a couple of minutes. Then add the pieces of carrot & mushrooms and fry for a few minutes, until the mushrooms get a golden hue.

   
4. Add the spice paste and cook for another two to three minutes. Add the squid and cook for two minutes, then add the sesame oil. Stir for about 30 seconds to combine the ingredients.

   
5. Sprinkle the the spring onions greens & sesame seeds over and serve.

Share this Recipe