Anyong Haseyo! Ok now, ‘fess up … how many Korean drama fans are in da house? 😉 Well, I’m not one of you (yet) but my mom is. She can’t stop talking about all her Korean drama serials and what good-lookers the Korean actors are, and how you say a particular word in Korean, and what’s the latest fad in Korea, etc etc.
Lately, she even signed up for a once-a-week Korean language course, just so she can, um, watch her shows without referring to subtitles. I guess it was troublesome trying to gawk at the Korean hunks while having to read the subtitles, huh?
While I may not be a fanatic like my mom, I do enjoy good, homely Korean fare on my dining table. Like Myulchi Bokkeum, or Stirfried Anchovies. The sweet, spicy, sticky goodness coating the crispy anchovies reminds me very much thesweet, spicy, sticky tempeh I’ve made before. Seriously, anything Sweet. Spicy. Sticky is addictive. You have been warned!
* Readers unfamiliar with banchan can read more here.
Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) … but I’m sure mom would say, not as hot as the Korean actors.
Recipe
(largely adapted from Maangchi and seen at Evan’s Kitchen Ramblings)
– 1 cup (about 55g) dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
– 1 tbsp vegetable oil
– 1 tbsp brown sugar
– 1/2 tsp minced garlic
– 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
– 1/2 tbsp corn syrup or honey
– 4 tsp water
– 1 tsp sesame oil
– 1/2 tsp sesame seeds (I upped to 1 tbsp cos I love it!)
1. Heat up pan and dry-fry sesame seeds briefly. As soon as they turn light brown, remove from pan and set aside.

2. Stir 1 cup of small dried anchovies in a heated pan for 1 minute.
3. Add 1 tbsp oil and stir it for another minute.
4. Push the cooked anchovies to the edge of the pan away from the heat.
Note: I removed the anchovies from the pan onto tempura paper at this point.

5. Make sauce by mixing 1 tbsp hot pepper paste, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 4 tsp water, 1/2 tbsp corn syrup (or honey) in a bowl, and then pour into pan.
6. Tip the pan so only the sauce is over the heat and simmer until the sauce looks shiny (and has thickened a little).
Note: If you removed the anchovies like I did, you don’t have to tip the pan. Make sure the fire is not too big or else the sauce will burn.
7. Return anchovies back to the sauce and turn the heat off.
8. Add 1 tsp sesame oil and sesame seeds. Toss and mix everything well.
* You can keep it in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. When you eat it, put it at room temperature for a while before eating, so it can get soft. But seriously, is it even possible to have leftovers?!
Jalmukesumneda!