Sweet and Spicy Dried Squid Banchan – Ojingeochae Muchim

Ojingeo means squid, and chae means shredded or julienne so Ojingeochae (오징어채) is dried squid strips, and then you add muchim (무침) meaning mixed to title the dish.

As the second half of the name implies the sauce and the dried squid strips, (already processed with salt and sometimes sugar,) are simply mixed together and left for the flavors to meld. If it were to be cooked a different way it would have a different name, such as bokkeum if it were stir-fried in sauce, Jorim if simmered in broth, or Jjim for a steamed dish.

Ojingeochae Muchin is a common banchan or mitbanchan, (밑반찬 basic side dish) served with a traditional Korean Bapsang or meal. Basically 3, 5, 7 or even 12 of these tasty little side dishes, and kimchi(s) of-course, get served along with the main meal of stew, soup, and rice.

An example of prepared dried squid strips. I used 2 2oz bags for this recipe.

I have slowly been compiling a collection of recipes for various banchan and am VERY excited to have been served these the other day when out with my Mother. It was immediately our favorite at the table and I just HAD to learn how to make it at home.

With the perfect amount of sweet to go with the spice these have just the right bit of chew and sauce to leave you craving another bite. They are addictive!

And don’t be fooled by the seafood title, these do not smell or taste like fish.

Lastly it’s cheap and super easy to make. You should definitely give it a try!
Check your local international or Asian market for the dried squid snacks or, like everything else, you can just add them to your next Amazon order.

Sweet and Spicy Dried Squid – Ojingeochae Muchim

By: semiserious chefs
Serves: 6-8 banchan servings

Ingredients:

4 oz Prepared Squid Snack/Dried Squid Strips
2 T olive oil
2 t gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
2 T gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
1 t soy sauce
2 T corn syrup
2 cloves or garlic, minced
1 t sesame seeds
1/4-1/2 t sesame oil, as preferred

Directions:

Gently rinse the dried squid in warm water for a minute to clear off excess salt and preservatives, as well as to soften them a bit. Do not boil them, as this will make them chewy. Pull apart any large chunks to create uniformity.
Add all of the other ingredients to a sauce pan and heat over medium until just warm enough to smooth-out and begin to bubble. This will help the flavors to meld.* Remove from heat and set it aside to cool. (Again, as to not cook the squid and make it chewy.)
At room temperature mix the squid strips and sauce together.
Serve along side a meal, with rice, or alone as a snack.
Go to the store and get ingredients to make another batch, as this batch surely won’t last long.

*You really can simply mix all the sauce ingredients together and not bother to heat them. Many people do it this way. I, personally, like to let the garlic have a chance to ‘settle’ using heat.