Korean Recipe: Stir-Fried Zucchini (Hobak Bokkeum)

Today’s recipe is simple to make and can be eaten as a side dish (banchan) or on top of bibimbap (mixed rice with vegetables). The main ingredient is Korean zucchini (otherwise known as gray squash), which is more stocky than regular zucchini and has a rounded bottom. The pale green skin is smooth and shiny while the inside is solid with a crisp flesh. The traditional recipe calls for using shrimp fish sauce (or saewoojeot) but, since we can’t all get our hands on that ingredient, we’ve substituted it with fish sauce.

My kids love eating this dish with white rice. The nice part is that they get a healthy serving of vegetables.

Servings: 4 people
Prep time: 20-30 minutes (salting)
Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 Korean zucchinis (gray zucchini)
1 tsp salt
2 chopped green onions (2 tbsp)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp fish sauce (shrimp fish sauce (or saewoojeot) can be used instead)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds

1. Cut the squash into fourths.

2. Then with flesh part down, cut the zucchini into half-moon shaped slices.

3. Add salt to the zucchini. Mix it all together and then leave it for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Run cold water over the zucchini so the salt washes away. Drain using a strainer.

5. Using your hands, tightly squeeze the water out of the zucchinis.

6. These are the ingredients you will be using to sauté the zucchini. On the plate there’s the minced garlic and chopped green onion. Standing from left to right is the fish sauce, the sesame oil and the sesame seeds.

7. On high heat, add the olive oil to the pan. When hot, add the zucchini and mix it into the oil. Next, add the fish sauce and the garlic. Mix 1-2 minutes. Finally, add the green onion, sesame oil and the sesame seeds. Mix 2-3 minutes. This whole step should take you no more than five minutes.