Gamja Jorim (Potato Side Dish)

I have to admit that the first time I ever ordered food at a Korean restaurant, I did not expect all these little "banchan" side dishes to arrive at the table. In my mind, I was thinking "Wow, what a good deal! Just order one dish from the menu and you get all these little extras!". But I really enjoy savouring these tasty little accompaniments, especially when hungry tummies just can't wait for the main meal to arrive. They usually vary from one restaurant to another, and sometimes from day to day as well, even at the same restaurant, and so, there's always something to look forward to.

One of my favourite has to be the potatoes cooked in soy sauce, called Gamja Jorim in Korean. They are little cubes of potatoes ("gamja") covered in a sweet and sticky soy glaze, covered with roasted sesame seeds, and they are oh so yummy! I came across a recipe for this at Aeri's Kitchen and tried it out for tonight's dinner. It was absolutely fabulous and both G and I couldn't stop eating them. I also made a side dish of Sigumchi Namul (spinach salad) to accompany it.

Here is the recipe, adapted from Aeri's Kitchen:

Gamja Jorim (Potato Side Dish)

Ingredients

3 medium-sized potatoes (approx 2 cups), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp oil
½ cup water
2½ tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Corn Syrup
1½ tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Method

Heat up 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the potatoes (turning occasionally) on med-high heat for 5-7 minutes until half cooked and lightly seared on all sides. Add the water, soy, corn syrup, sugar and garlic and simmer for 6-8 minutes until potatoes are cooked and the sauce thickens and is no longer runny. Push the potatoes aside and tilt the pan to let the oil drip down. Spoon out the excess oil and discard it. Place the pan on the heat again and add salt to taste. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and toss to coat. Dish out into a bowl and serve warm or cold. Great for lunchboxes too!