Ojingeo bokkeum — spicy Korean squid stir-fry
A quick squid stir-fry with sweet onion, carrot and a glossy chili-garlic sauce. The body and tentacles cook in just a few minutes after the vegetables.
AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.
Ingredients
2 servings
Everyday kitchen measurements
For 2 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 Cleaned squid is unavailable
- Use instead
- Cleaned cuttlefish
- Substitute quantity
- ½ of a 600 g packReference quantity: 300 g
Use half of a 600 g pack. Cut the cleaned body into thin 1 cm strips, then stir-fry after the vegetables for 2–3 minutes until opaque throughout. Cuttlefish can be thicker and firmer, so do not use large thick chunks.
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Optional
Omit the onion from the vegetable preparation and pan. The dish will be slightly less sweet and have fewer vegetables; keep the other amounts unchanged.
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Optional
Omit the carrot from the cutting and vegetable stir-fry steps. The dish will lose some sweetness and color; no change to the sauce is needed.
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Optional
Omit the spring onion where it is added. The dish will have less fresh onion aroma; other amounts and cooking time stay the same.
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Essential
This fermented chili paste gives the dish its characteristic flavor. Use a mild version for less heat. Hot sauce alone is not an equivalent replacement.
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Substitute available
If Soy sauce is unavailable
- Use instead
- Tamari
- Substitute quantity
- 1 level eating spoonReference quantity: 15 ml
Use the same spoon amount in the sauce. Choose a similar salt level; do not add extra salt. Check labels if avoiding wheat.
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Substitute available
If Sugar is unavailable
- Use instead
- Honey
- Substitute quantity
- 1 level eating spoonReference quantity: 15 ml
Use the same spoon amount. The sauce will be more moist; simmer briefly to coat the food, and keep the heat gentle once the sweet sauce is added. Do not serve honey to infants under 12 months.
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Substitute available
If Minced garlic is unavailable
- Use instead
- Garlic powder
- Substitute quantity
- ½ small teaspoonReference quantity: about 1 g
Mix the powder into the sauce or broth instead of the fresh garlic. Do not use garlic salt.
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Optional
Omit these flakes from the sauce for less heat. Keep the gochujang and all other amounts unchanged.
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Substitute available
If Neutral cooking oil is unavailable
- Use instead
- Sunflower oil
- Substitute quantity
- 2 small teaspoonsReference quantity: 10 ml
Use the same spoon amount at the same cooking step.
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Optional
You may omit this finishing oil at the last step. The dish will have less nutty aroma; the cooking time and other amounts stay the same.
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
Prepare the squid. Use half of a 600 g pack of cleaned squid. If using whole squid, pull the head and organs out of the body, remove the clear plastic-like quill, cut the tentacles below the eyes and remove the hard beak. Discard the organs, eyes and beak. Peel the outer skin if preferred. Rinse briefly, drain and pat dry. Open the body flat and cut into 2 cm strips; divide the tentacles into small clusters.
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Step 2
Prepare the vegetables and sauce. Cut ½ onion into wedges, ½ small carrot into thin strips and 1 spring onion into short lengths. In a bowl mix 2 level eating spoons gochujang, 1 level eating spoon soy sauce, 1 level eating spoon sugar and 2 small teaspoons minced garlic. Add the optional 1 small teaspoon gochugaru. Do not add water.
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Step 3
Start with the vegetables. Heat a wide pan over medium-high heat and add 2 small teaspoons oil. Stir-fry the onion and carrot for 2 minutes, until the onion edges turn translucent and the carrot starts to soften. Leave the pan uncovered.
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Step 4
Add the squid. Spread the dry squid strips and tentacles in the pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. The flesh will begin turning white and the edges will curl. Keep moving the squid so it cooks evenly; do not pile it into a small crowded pan.
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Step 5
Coat and finish cooking. Add all the sauce and spring onion. Stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes until the sauce coats the squid and every piece is opaque through its center. If any piece is still translucent, cook it a little longer. Stop as soon as the squid is cooked; prolonged cooking makes it chewy.
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Step 6
Serve immediately. Turn off the heat and mix in the optional 1 small teaspoon sesame oil. Transfer to a plate straight away. Serve with plain rice if desired. Spoon any small amount of pan sauce over the food rather than boiling the squid longer to dry the sauce.
Finished dish
This recipe uses the cleaned edible amount of squid, not the weight of a whole uncleaned squid. A seafood counter can clean it for you. Keep raw seafood and cooked food utensils separate, and thaw frozen squid in the refrigerator. The sauce is spicy. Omit the extra chili flakes and choose mild gochujang to reduce heat. For a small pan, cook half of all the ingredients at a time. Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days.