Got Potatoes? Make Soy-Braised Potatoes (Gamja-jorim) for 4

How do you cook it with the potatoes you have, and how much do you need?

This makes 4 servings. You can leave out the carrot, chili peppers, and onion if you don't have them; potatoes alone work.

Measurements: a tablespoon here means one level ordinary Korean table spoon (about 15 ml), and a teaspoon means one teaspoon (about 5 ml).

Why is it easier to mix the braising sauce ahead of time?

Mix the sauce in a bowl before you stir-fry the potatoes. Combine 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon each of sugar, cooking wine, and oligosaccharide syrup, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, and 180 ml of water, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Potatoes tend to stick while stir-frying, so measuring the sauce during that time would mean stepping away from the pan.

Stir it once more right before you pour it in. Don't put the sesame oil and sesame seeds into this sauce; add them separately at the end.

How do you make it step by step?

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2.5 cm pieces. Cut the carrot, green chili peppers, and onion into chunky pieces.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to a heated pan and stir-fry the potatoes over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir now and then so they don't stick.

3. Pour in the sauce you mixed earlier and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, add the carrot.

4. Put the lid on, lower to medium heat, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. The potatoes should be almost done but still firm, not mushy.

5. Uncover, add the green chili peppers and onion, and reduce for about 3 minutes. When the liquid has cut down and turned slightly thick, add the sesame oil and sesame seeds and turn off the heat.

What should you check to avoid mistakes?

• During the 4 to 5 minutes of stir-frying the potatoes, don't leave them in one spot; stir now and then. If they stick to the bottom, they will burn on.
• After 5 to 6 minutes covered, poke the biggest potato piece with a chopstick. If it goes in easily, it is time to uncover.
• Even after you turn off the heat, the potatoes keep soaking up the remaining liquid. If you turn it off when the liquid forms a thin layer on the bottom, the seasoning sets evenly as it cools.
• You don't have to stop if you lack cooking wine or oligosaccharide syrup. Leave out the cooking wine, and replace the syrup with 1 more tablespoon of sugar.

What changes depending on the type of potato?

Starchy potatoes, often called "floury" potatoes, tend to have their corners break apart while stir-frying and cooking. For these, soak the cut pieces in cold water for a few minutes to wash off the starch, wipe off the moisture with a paper towel, then put them in the pan. If you stir-fry them while still wet, the oil spatters and the sauce gets watery.

You can also use them with the skin on. If you do, cut away any sprouted or greenish parts and scrub off the dirt with a brush.

How do you store leftover gamja-jorim?

As it cools, the potatoes soak up more of the liquid and can taste saltier than at first. Divide it into shallow containers in portions you'll eat in one sitting and refrigerate within 2 hours. When you eat it, reheat it in the microwave until hot all the way through.