Gaji namul is one of the basic Korean vegetable side dishes. I remember what my grandmother told my aunts about gaji namul. She said, “gaji namul should always be mixed with lots of crushed garlic and sesame oil to make it really delicious!” Since I heard it, I have always used garlic generously in my gaji namul.
Ingredients:
3 medium sized Asian eggplant, 2½ tbs soy sauce, 1 chopped green onion, 2 cloves of garlic, ½ tbs of roasted sesame seeds, ½ tbs of sesame oil, 1 ts of hot pepper flakes
- Cut 3 medium sized Asian eggplants into 2 or 3 pieces. Then cut each piece in half lengthwise
- Pour 2 cups of water into a steamer, and place the pieces of eggplant inside. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes over high heat.
- Turn the heat off and move the cooked eggplant to a bowl. Set it aside to cool down.
- After the eggplant has cooled, drain the liquid from the bottom of the bowl.
- Tear each piece of eggplant lengthwise with your fingers, and put the strips into a large bowl.
- Add these seasonings to the bowl: 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 ts of hot pepper flakes, 1 chopped green onion, ½ tbs sesame seeds, 2½ tbs soy sauce, and ½ tbs sesame oil.
- Mix it all together with your hand.
Serve with rice as a side dish.
Thank you for your recipes!! I’ve been married over 13 years to a Korean and he is FINALLY happy with my cooking – thanks to your recipes! LOL
I just made the eggplant side dish this morning and it received a thumbs up from him. :-)
I’m glad to hear that! : )
I really love your recipes . Im your fan of Maangchi’s recipes!
Thank you for sharing your fantastic recipes
Thanks a lot,Aunny! Happy New Year!
I always cook the aubergine in the microwave… I just slice the aubergine and put it in a microwaveable bowl then cover with cling film, and pierce the top with a chopstick or whatever a few times. Then it takes a couple of minutes, say 4 minutes? I haven’t really noticed the bitterness whilst using UK aubergines (well it says they’re from Spain). After they are cooked I add the sauces and eat it straight away, nice and hot. I know some people like it cold, but I prefer it like that. Good with some bokkumbab! It reminds me of my mum’s cooking when I miss home :D
민정, London and Aberdeen (I’m at uni lol)
Thank you Emily for the recipe, they are very easy to follow, my parent and my sister came over last weekend and they are impressed with the food. Thank you again, you are the best, I am looking forward for more recipe from you and trying them out
Thank you very much for your update! Your family must be proud of you!
easy to cook and look yummy!
Maangchi I just love this salad because my garden is full of eggplant this time of the year. I altered your seasoning just a little bit by adding one half tsp, of sugar and one tsp. of rice vinegar. So delicious thanks for posting this recipie. Vinnie
FIRST TIME I ATE THE SPICY EGG PLANT, IT WAS SO GOOD!!!!
Vinnie, cool! I wish I had a garden to grow my favorite vegetables!
Jenny, Congratulation!
Great! I’ve been thinking of what to make of the eggplants we all harvested from sister’s garden before the frost tomorrow. This dish is what I’ve been looking for! I really enjoyed watching your videos. We are both from Toronto! I go to P.A.T supermarket here in Scarborough for my produce, meat & pantry items each week. Eventhough I cannot read or speak much Korean, I find it relaxing to go there. I think my love of Korean cooking all started with chapchae. I make it all the time for our get-togethers. Always a sell-out!
Maangchi <3 this dish it was so easy to make and tasted amazing
thank you for the recipe
Sam
Maangchi…this is so good…makes an eggplant really interesting taste. Luckily I am in asia so asian eggplant is in abundance…you are really so interesting…no wonder your recipes are interesting as well and really am addicted to korean cooking your way…I thought korean food is unhealthy cuz lots of meat…but you made it my favorite cuisine now!
gajinamul is my favorite side dish. Thank you very much!
Hi Maangchi,
Wow, I don’t aware that Korean use aubergine in their cuisine anyway my question is aren’t the aubergine / eggplant taste rather bitter flavour. Are there any differences using western rounded aubergine and Asian aubergine??? Any suggestions and tips???
Thank u so much.
The skin of Western eggplants are sometimes bitter. (I mentioned this in my video recipe). If Asian eggplants are not available, you could use western eggplants. Just skin it before steaming.
Thanks so much Maangchi for the reply.
Hmmm, could you share some tips on how to remove the bitterness of the aubergine??? By the way, thanks so much… and you are one of my favourite cookery presenters I ever know…
Thank u, thank u… ^_^
The skin of western eggplant is bitter, so after removing the skin, steam it to make this dish.
Excellent Maangchi.
Thanks so much for the tips.
Hope to learn more new recipes from you in future.
^_^
In Albania (where I come from) we have western eggplants and we have kind of a similar dish as gajinamul, but of course without the soy sauce. Anyway, what I wanted to say is that what we do to take away the bitterns of the skin is to soak them in water with lots of salt. You really need to submerge them in the water and leave them for an 30 min to an hr.
This definitely helps.
Btw, the Albanian recipe is even easier than this. We just fry the julienne pieces of eggplant, then pour olive oil, minced garlic and vinegar (either red or balsamic). It is delicious.
However, I much prefer Asian food so gajinamul is my favourite way to cook it.
Thank you Maangchi for the easy and delicious recipes.
hello maangchi….i am your avid viewer,although im not korean,but i love your cooking style,i tried your vegetable pancake.wowwwwww.im a vegetarian,its my pleasure if you can feature more vegetarian food.thank you so much.keep up the good work.
Sure, I will keep it in mind. I prefer vegetables to meat,too.
usually the style of eggplant i eat is stir fried with dried shrimp and eggs. i don’t fancy the taste so i’ll try to avoid eating.
however, when i saw your recipe, it immediately speaks ‘delicious’ so i made it. it was superb! it’s the best way to prepare eggplants! i think i can consume 3 eggplants at one good with this recipe :D
Yeah, I love this recipe. 3 eggplants! I’m not surprised. : )
I made it and it was delicious. Thanks.
wonderful! : )
Hi Manngchi,
I enjoyed watching your videos, trying your recipes and have lately been shopping at a local Korean market. Today I bought a bag of “Dot Na Mul” hoping that I could figure out a recipe to use it in.
What is another name for that plant, or alternate western spelling. Could I substitute it for another ingredient in one of your dishes? Any suggestions. Google had next to nothing.
The leafs are fleshy and appear to be from a succulent plant and are on stems about 4-5 inches long.
Thanks,
Jonathan
fresh dotnamul? Wow, where do you live? I haven’t seen the vegetable for years! Is this vegetable you bought?
http://hanttol.tistory.com/329
If so, wash and drain it and make Korean style salad. The recipe for sauce is posted under my Korean style mixed green salad.
http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/tofu-stew-doenjang-chigae
Mix it with the sauce just before serving it.
Yes, that’s it. Thanks so much.
I’m in Los Angeles and found this at the Galleria Market at 3250 W. Olympic Blvd in the Koreatown area.
Hi! Can you use regular eggplant or does it have to be Asian/Japanese?
I used Asian eggplant, but you could use regular eggplant, too. If you use regular eggplant, peel the skin off before steaming it and the rest of recipe will be the same.
Dear Mangchi,
It looks just very much like my mum’s cooking style. Thanks a lot for showing your recipe and I want to say I am a your huge fan from Singapore! You are a great cook!
Kind regards
Kay
Thank you, Kay!
Today I tried your recipe for Gaji namul and it was just so good!!
Thank you so much. You really inspire me to cook Korean food as it looks so delicious. I just watched your Korean Pancake one. I will try it tomorrow.
Thanks!
Thank you very much!! Good timing!! I’m about to have my dinner and I think they smell fine =)* *(=
Katt,
If I were you, I would smell it to check if the kongnamulmuchim is fresh enough to eat. I wish I could rush to your house and smell and taste it on behalf you! haha!
Anyway, if you feel uncomfortable,throw it away.
Ah, sorry, I forgot to leave my name. That was me, Katt! =____=b
Thanks for your answer, Maangchi. I was just wondering if it applies also to the Kongnamool. I made these two ban chans yesterday, and I used the whole bag of soy bean sprouts, so now I ended up having a lot of Kongnamool left in the fridge. I’m afraid to eat it b/c I’m worried that I will have a upset stomach since I dunno how long it can stay in the fridge. Please let me know, me and the Kongnamool are waiting…Thank you!:)
Shaolin,
I’m glad to hear that your gajinamul cooked with the microwave oven turned out good!
Katt,
Only 1 day! : )
Hi, Maangchi
I love this recipe! Thanks for sharing *__* I have one question, how long can the leftover stay in the fridge? Thank you! Waiting for more mouthwatering recipes!
Hey,
I also tried making this dish using the microwave to cook the aubergines. Nicest if steamed but also quite good in the microwave if you don’t have a steamer. :)
x
janet,
Keep thinking how to steam it without a steamer! You have all ingredients except for a steamer! : )
You could use a method that I used a long time ago. When you make your rice using a pot, first cook the mixture of rice and water. When the rice boils over, lower the heat to simmer it. At the time of lowering the heat, add pieces of eggplant to the top of rice. When you finish cooking the rice, your eggplant will be cooked at the same time.
I don’t have a steamer. Is there another way I can cook the eggplant?
just to say thank u, ur recipe is easy yet tasty.
thanks u ‘muacks’ (a big kiss to u)
Shaolin,
haha, I agree with what you are saying. “everytime it tastes better” because practice makes perfect! You are the queen of gajinamul (eggplant side dish)! : )
Thanks you for this great recipy! This is now my favourite dish to make with rice! :)
I have made it 6 times now and everytime taste better.
Liz,
good news! I’m glad you like the recipe.
I just made this dish and it turned out wonderfully – I love it! Thanks!
hi i like the way how you cooked eggplant dishes it’s look so delicious i try to make this as one of our side dish for dinner..thank a lot.keep up a good job.have a nice day
Love your recipes! Cute hair!!!
Brian van Weijen,
yep! doenjang jjigae and gajinamul (egg plant side dish) are really going well! How did you know that! : )
Most eggplants dishes I’ve come across involves frying in a lot of oil, which I’m not that fond of since eggplants are so absorbant. So I’m happy to have found this recipe. I made it today along with your doenjang chige, which I have been making quite often these last weeks. Tastes great and easy to make.
Would love to see more vegetarian dishes in the future.
Lisa,
Thank you very much!
Maricel,
sure, many people have requested “gaejang”(salty crab side dish) recipe. I am going to post it someday.
Thank you.
hello Maangchi,
I’m a from Philippines and I have zero knowledge on how to prepare Korean foods. I tried to surf in the internet a “lot of times” but I couldn’t find a good site for a delicious and good recipes. Only then when I’ve seen your site and I started liking it.
My husband is a Korean, a busy man and the worse is he doesn’t know how to cook. I really find it hard to prepare food for him but now I have your help from the net. I tried making him Gaji Namul and the spicy myulchi bokkeum and he like it. Thank you so much Maangchi you are my savior. Now, he will love me more.
I have some favor if you don’t mind. He loves to eat crab but he is asking me if I can check on the net about the sauce. I don’t know what kind of sauce is that but hope you can give me some recipe for the crab (Ke or Ge Korean Name).
i’m so excited about your web site, I sent it to all my sisters and we are in love with you! your cooking is so good and clear and fun to watch. it’s so inspirational that my sister made kimchi jige today and i made dukboki non-spicy
Jackie,
Welcome to my korean cooking channel. Let me know how your korean dishes turn out.
Lisa,
Thank you for the short recipe for eggplant jjim. I have never tasted it, but it sounds like very delicious.
Hi – you cook just like my mom and sound like my mom even though you are at least 50 years younger than my mom. I love it. this is her favorite side dish and she makes it all the time and she only tears it with her hands too. She also makes a very good stuffed eggplant main dish called gaji jjim. It is japanese eggplant (little ones) stuffed with chopped onion, chopped good beef, little doeng and little hot pepper paste. Stuff the eggplant like cucumber kimchi and then stuff some big green long peppers (not spicy) too. put in not crowded pot with water and boil and simmer. So delicious!
I just found your website and love it. I am 1/2 Korean and did not learn to cook from my mother. I have many Korean recipes but not brave enough to try. Watching you makes me feel more confident. I will try this dish and many more. Thank You! Now I can satisfy my Korean cravings.
~*r,
I bought it “Kitchen stuff” in Canada.
Where did you get that awesome stove-top steamer? Looks yummy!
OOO you are so CUTEEE!
I watch all your videos!
THANK YOU so much! they are very helpful
I can’t wait to make this and the kimchi
yes maangchi…you’re one so cool korean!
Hi Maanngchi,
Today was my Mom’s birthday so I made your eggplant sidedish, microwave egg dish, and served it with rice and kimchi! and hobakjuk for dessert! she LOVED it and was impressed. I actually was watching your video on ITUNES PODCAST when I make it! Thank you so much, Maangchi! You make the videos so easy to understand and recipes so easy to follow that even someone like me who is only 15 can make it!! I will make ALL your dishes soon.
너무 맛있다! 감사합니다!
-Jihyun (지현)
Sylvia,
Your lunch sounds like very healthy food!
I made this today.
I ate it for lunch with rice (mixed with multi grains, seeds and beans) and kimchi.
Preesi
OMG, roasted mackerel and gajinamul,and rice! How about kimchi? It sounds very healthy and delicious combination. : ) I like this eggplant side dish a lot.
OMG Maangchi. I usually hate eggplant. I love eggplant this way! I had it with rice and baked mackerel! I wanna eat it all.
Oh man that was YUMMY!
Josh,
It sometimes happens. Don’t worry. The color from eggplant comes out when it’s steamed.
Hi Maangchi,
I have made this gaji namul recipe twice now and I really love it. I made it yesterday and when the eggplant was done steaming, the water that was left in the pot had turned BRIGHT green! Has that ever happened to you?
There is a picture of it on my blog here: http://juniperusjosh.blogspot.com/2008/11/eggplant.html
charlie,
Hiding some vegetables in brownies is a great idea!
Carrot cake will trick your children, too. : ) How about bibimbap? Skip hot pepper paste if they can’t eat hot spicy food.
You can talk about this in the forum here. You may get better advice from others.
Hi Maangchi,
Your eggplant recipe is great because I always try to add more vegetable in my meal planning. Since my kids are not into the spices yet, I don’t usually add hot pepper. And they are not very much vegetable munching type, could you recommend some great vegetable dishes that kids would like? I sometimes hides vegetables in their brownies just to add extra vitamins in their tummies. Please reply to my email as well. Thanks.
Great fan of yours.
Anonymous,
Yes, you can use hot pepper paste if you don’t have hot pepper flakes. If you don’t like hot spicy food, you can skip it, too.
can i use red pepper paste instead of red pepper flakes?
i love your eggplan salad its great!
Eunyoung,
yeah, mom’s food is number one! That’s what my children say, too. : )
mei,
yeah, next time, you will make perfect gajinamul (eggplant side dish)! Thank you!
maangchiiii
i made this for my dinner just now..nyummm =D thanks for ur kindness sharing recipes (love vdos!) i LOVE eggplant too..but yea, i think it isnt spicy enough. i only made 1/2 eggplant for my side dish and use 1tsp of the red pepper n not spicy at all, altho i’ve reduced the soy sauce..i think i’ll put more..i wish i could find the one in bag like yours. there’s only the one put in plastic bottle at the grocery here, it’s more expensive =(
anyway THANK YoU..keep posting =))
wow~~I like namuls one of which is gagi namaul^^!!!
Specially, I love that is made by my mam~
When I saw the UCC, I missed my mam ㅠㅠ
Anonymous,
Yes, I will! : )
I love the weather down here in Texas now. Its nice and windy cold but the sun still shines. I might go to H-Mart today so ill be sure to pick up some eggplants. Thanks for another great recipe Maanchi!
PS
WIll you be doing some more soup recipes as winter is aproaching?
Nathan,
Yeah, your grilled or deep fried eggplant recipe sounds great!
hahaha
i love it too
here in the philippines, we like grill the whole eggplant then afterwards peel off the eggplant skin. soak it in a mixture of beaten eggs with salt, vetsin.then you just press the the eggplant to spread it out using a fork..fry it..then serve.
^^
hahaha..
i love your website^^
Looks wonderful, I love eggplant especially the Asian ones. My favorite way to eat regular eggplant is grilled rubbed with salt and olive oil. I also like it deep=fried (which I know is pretty bad)
Again though, thanks for the post, I love that you did pictorials, keep up the good work!
It looks delicious. I will make it one day soon. Cambodian has similar to this but first we grill the eggplants and then remove the skin. Then stir fry with minced garlic, ground pork, salt, sugar, fish sauce and add some green onion or cilantro on the top.