Shredded Squid Side Dish, spicy

Dried shredded squid makes tasty Korean side dish. Slightly spicy and sweet, it’s a popular Korean lunchbox item and wonderful to serve with rice.

When we were a young school girl in Korea, lunch time was always the happiest moment during the entire day at school. We didn’t have any school cafeteria where we could purchase a lunch, which means our mother always had to make a lunchbox for us. Well, she had to make 5 of them because she had 5 children. What a work for her!

We didn’t realize how much of an effort she had to put to make 5 lunchboxes every morning until we became a mother and made lunchbox for our children. The difference is that we only need to make 2 and we do it every once in a while.

Korean dried shredded squid

There was one lunchbox dish that our mother often made. It was the spicy shredded squid side dish. Chewy with slightly sweet and spicy seasoning, it was one our absolute favorite.

These dried shredded squid strips are called “jinmichae (진미채) or ojinguh-chae (오징어채)”. You can find it in a Korean grocery store. Some people like to eat the way it is right out of the package. Our daughter loves to eat it as a snack – quite tasty.

It is direct to cook and you can store this side dish in the fridge quite a long time, about 2 weeks.

Try jwipo (fish jerky) or Myulchi Bokkeum (Anchovy Stir-Fry) for more protein packed side dishes.

How the dish comes together

First, rinse out the shredded squid in water, then squeeze out to remove the excess water. Set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, combine all the sauce ingredients.

Bring them to boil and thicken.

Add the shredded squids and toss well to coat evenly all over.

Sprinkle some sesame seeds and it is good to go.

We will tell you one unfussy thing you can make with this spicy shredded squid. Make Kimbap with it! All you need is rice, this spicy squid and some crunch vegetable of your choice. Spread over a sheet of seaweed, then roll it up. You will love the taste.

As we mentioned, this side dish stores well, about 2 weeks. So you get to enjoy for a long time. Mine never lasted that long, though. Hope you get to find the shredded squid and try yourself.

• Yield: 4 people
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 5 minutes
• Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb Korean dried shredded squid
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon Korean chili paste (gochujang)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Method

1. Rinse the shredded squid in the water a few times, then squeeze out to remove the excess water. Set aside.
2. In a non-stick skillet, cook garlic until fragrant and add the rest of the ingredient except the sesame seeds. Bring to gentle boil and thicken.
3. Add the shredded squid and toss well to coat evenly. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and toss. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

The dish can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks.