Stir-fried zucchini (Aehobak bokkeum)
Tender zucchini half-moons with onion and a little sesame aroma. A splash of water finishes the vegetables gently without needing salted shrimp paste.
AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.
Ingredients
4 servings
Everyday kitchen measurements
For 4 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).
How to fill the cup and spoons
Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.
King Arthur Baking-
Substitute available
If Korean pale-green zucchini (aehobak) is unavailable
- Use instead
- Ordinary dark-green zucchini
- Substitute quantity
- 1 small zucchiniReference quantity: 300 g
Use the same small-zucchini amount and 5 mm half-moons. It may be firmer than Korean zucchini; check at the steaming step and add another 1–2 minutes with 1 tablespoon water if necessary. The skin is darker and the flavor slightly different.
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Optional
May be omitted. Skip slicing and the onion-only frying time, and add the main ingredient to the heated oil directly. Keep the rest of the recipe amounts unchanged; the flavor will be less sweet.
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Substitute available
If Neutral cooking oil is unavailable
- Use instead
- Canola, sunflower or rice-bran oil
- Substitute quantity
- 1 level eating spoonReference quantity: 15 ml
Choose one unflavored oil and use the replacement amount shown. Keep the same heat and cooking steps. These replace the frying oil, not extra oil added on top.
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Optional
May be omitted. Skip its preparation and addition; cooking time is unchanged. The garlic aroma will be lighter. Omitting raw garlic in the seasoned vegetables gives a gentler flavor for children.
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Optional
May be reduced or omitted for a lower-salt dish. Add no more than the listed quantity, and taste only cooked food before adding more. Cooking time is unchanged.
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Essential
Use the listed water for this stage. Blanching water is drained; braising water stays in the sauce. Add only small spoonfuls of hot water if a pan dries before the food is cooked.
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Optional
May be omitted. Skip the final sprinkle or mixing. It supplies a nutty finish but is not needed for the food to cook. Sesame is an allergen.
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Optional
May be omitted. Skip the finishing drizzle without adding extra frying oil. The toasted sesame aroma will be lighter; sesame is an allergen.
Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.
Step-by-step cooking
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Step 1
Wash one small Korean zucchini, about 300 g, and trim the ends. Cut lengthwise in half, then into half-moons about 5 mm thick. Thinly slice quarter onion and prepare the optional garlic. Do not peel tender skin.
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Step 2
Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the onion and gently stir for 1–2 minutes until it starts softening, without dark browning.
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Step 3
Add the zucchini and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, turning gently with a spatula. Keep pieces intact. They should start softening at the edges but still look pale inside at this stage.
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Step 4
Add optional 1 teaspoon minced garlic and up to ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir for about 30 seconds, lowering the heat if garlic starts browning. For a lower-salt version use just a pinch or omit salt.
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Step 5
Add 2 tablespoons water and cover the pan. Cook on medium-low for 2–3 minutes until a fork enters the zucchini easily, while the half-moons keep their shape. If still firm, give another minute; if already soft, stop earlier. Do not cook until mushy.
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Step 6
Turn off the heat, add optional ½ teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, then gently mix. Divide into four small side portions with rice. Let children’s portions cool and cut large slices smaller.
Finished dish
Use refrigerated leftovers within 1–2 days for texture. Sesame is present only if the finishing oil or seeds are used. This version uses no shrimp paste or fish sauce. Ordinary dark-green zucchini works as the listed replacement; its skin and firmness differ. Use a small paper cup of 180 ml, a level ordinary eating spoon of about 15 ml and a small teaspoon of about 5 ml. Spoon and vegetable sizes vary; package weights are useful references. A quarter carrot or half onion is approximate. Photos show the original recipe including optional ingredients; replacements can change its appearance. These are small rice-side portions, not complete meals. Use clean serving utensils and keep the remaining batch separate. Put leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C, at 4°C or colder. If serving hot, reheat only the portion needed thoroughly to 74°C. Do not leave a lunchbox unrefrigerated all day.