This spicy braised potato side dish is very simple and something you can make quickly with only a few ingredients. You’ll be surprised at how delicious it is, with such little work! Your house will be full of a good aroma!
As I mentioned it the video, this is a more frugal version of the same dish with fish. In this one, dried anchovies create the irresistible savory flavor. It’s warm, spicy, a little salty, a little sweet, and goes perfect with rice. If you are not a big fan of Mr. Anchovies, use chicken broth instead of water.
Ingredients
- 1 pound peeled potato (Idaho or Yukon), cut crosswise into ½ inch thick pieces
- 5 ounces onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 7 large dried anchovies, heads and guts removed
- 1½ cup water
Directions
- Add potato, onion, garlic, soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, and sugar to a heavy pot. Mix all with a wooden spoon.
- Add the anchovies and water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium high heat.
- Open and stir. Cover and lower the heat to medium.
- Cook for another 15 minutes until the potato is fully cooked but not mushy.
- Transfer it to a plate and serve right away with rice. You can refrigerate it up to 2 to 3 days. To eat again, reheat in the microwave or put it into a pan with a little bit of water and heat it up on the stove. Or you can serve it cold.
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
I made this today for a party and it was a big hit. So simple and great with rice. The taste reminds of a filipino dish I used to eat as a kid even though the ingredients are very different. It tasted like home
I’m glad to hear that your gamjajorim was a big hit at the party! Personally, one of my favorite things about cooking this dish is the amazing aroma it produces. Yum!
Maangchi, as always this recipe looks so amazing that I can’t wait to try it. Trying to keep my carbs down, and I’m sure this will be dangerously addictive
Do you think fish sauce instead of dried anchovies could work in this recipe, and if so, how much would you recommend?
You NEVER talk too much❤️
My mom had a wonderful spicy gamja jorim recipe. She passed it on to me just before she died, but I realized today that I had lost it! I nearly had an emotional breakdown, but your recipe looks similar to hers….I am so incredibly grateful that you run this website! Cooking Korean food has become an almost spiritual ritual for me, helping me feel close to her even though she isn’t around, and your website has really helped me with that.
I feel so touched by your comment, because it sounds like when you cook Korean food, you think about your mom. Food is more than just recipes, isn’t it? I’m sure many people will be touched by your comment?
I love these potatoes! The only thing I do differently to make this a vegan dish is use nearly a teaspoon of kelp powder whisked into the water in order to bring the sea flavor without using anchovies. I suppose a piece of dried kelp might work, but I find the powder to be a stronger flavor. A little goes a long way! Hope this helps someone wanting to try this without the fish.
This looks amazing. And it reminds me a lot of a dish from my grandparents’ culture that I make all the time: Hungarian potato paprikash, potatoes stewed with paprika, onion, and tomato (and sometimes smoked sausage), also a cheap, frugal housewives’ dish that costs little but tastes great. Thank you so much for this. Maangchi FTW again!
Potato paprikash sounds wonderful! I’m always interested in learning frugal housewives’ dishes. Usually they are not only frugal but delicious, that’s why I like them!
You are absolutely right! I’m from Hungary (living in Germany), and we watch always Maangchi’s recipes together with my husband. At this video we have yelled unisono: ‘look at that, this is the Korean paprikáskrumpli!’ :) And dear Maangchi voila the recipe, this is what we make at home (I actually also with wiener). But be aware: this is a tipical national dish, that means people religiously stick to their family recipe. :D
https://bitethebutter.wordpress.com/2015/11/07/paprikas-krumpli/comment-page-1/
The resemblance really is uncanny. I just made paprikas krumpli last night and had it for lunch today. So good.
My grandmother was born in Vienna, but her parents came from Hungary.
Hi Maangchi!
I’m so excited to make this. Do you think I could use dashi as my liquid?
Hi, since I can’t buy always dried anchovies, I sometimes ‘cheat’ with dashi. The flavour of two kinds of broths are pretty similar.
Hi Maangchi! I love your recipes, thank you for teaching me so much about cooking and making life more fun with your delicious food!
Can I use canned mackerel instead of sardines?
Looks delicious, and really hearty for the winter and rainy spring days. I also lived in Columbia and went to MU for graduate school, so I thought that was very neat when I read it in your book introduction, and when you mentioned it in the video. I grew up near Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, and there were several Korean ladies who went to my parent’s church. When I was a child they would bring mandu and japchae to church pot-luck dinners, and what my father liked most of all, kimchi! The ladies taught him how to make it, and now I do too.
This was so good, I’ve made it twice now! Thanks so much for the recipe. ^_^
I made this tonight. I can’t find gochujaru anywhere where I live ):
So I used gochujang instead. Still delicious! 감사합니다!
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You said in this video “I talk too much!”
I disagree – like I said for kimchi before: “There’s no such thing as too much kimchi”, I say the same for you: “There’s no such thing as Maangchi talking too much”!
I love the stories of your life, your explanations, everything!
Bye, Sanne
Thank you so much, Sanne! You always give good replies to my other readers, so you are like a Korean food expert!
Thank you very much and you’re welcome!
I just watch your videos again, and they are so much fun and really inspiring!
Bye, Sanne.
Maangchi scores another hit! Great job and tasty dish. It is snowing here, so I will make this tomorrow to warm up! Thanks, Maangchi (and great classic dress, too!)!
Good luck!
Thank you, Maangchi! This came out so good it has become a staple of mine. What a wonderful dish. Sometimes I add slices of jalapeno to spice it up even more!