Home Cooking: Ueong (burdock root) jorim

Autumn is a good time to start eating more root vegetables. Ueong (burdock root) is very popular in Korea and other Asian countries. Itโ€™s full of nutrients and an excellent source of fiber. The root has a sweet, earthy flavor and crisp, chewy texture. Ueong jorim is a simple dish to make by lightly braising in a sweet, soy sauce.

Gently scrape off the skin with a knife or the back of a knife. Since the root is pretty fibrous, I like to cut it into match sticks. Once itโ€™s cut, the root will turn brown quickly. You can soak it in vinegar water to prevent discoloring, but itโ€™s really not necessary for this dish as it will be braised in a dark sauce anyway. You will lose some flavor if you soak in water.

Ueong jorim is simply delicious as a side dish for any Korean meal. Itโ€™s also great as a gimbap filling.

Ingredients:

1 burdock root (about 220 grams)

1 tablespoon sesame oil (or perilla seed oil)

1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice syrup (jocheong) or corn syrup (mulyeot)

1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds

Rinse the root. Scrape off the skin with a knife or the back of a knife. Cut into 2 long pieces. Cut each piece diagonally into thin slices. Gather a few thin slices at a time, and cut into match sticks.

Heat a pan. Add the burdock root and a tablespoon of sesame oil (or perilla seed oil). Stir-fry until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add 4 tablespoons water, the soy sauce, and rice syrup. Simmer over medium low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

For more recipes visit www.koreanbapsang.com.

Ueong (burdock root) jorim (Korean Bapsang)

By Ro Hyo-sun