Nakji Bokom

Nakji Bokum is a very spicy octopus dish enjoyed by many Koreans. Octopus tentacles are cut into bite-sized pieces then pan stir-fried with spicy gojujang paste along with chili powder, sesame oil, red or green chili peppers, green onions, carrots and onions. Different variation of this dish do exist as the octopus can be substituted with squid for less chewy texture and taste. Non-Koreans may find this dish too spicy even diluted with rice that accompanies this dish.

Ingredients

300g octopus

300g dried wheat noodles (somyeon)

1.5 tbsp oil

10 fresh or canned button mushrooms, halved

1 green onion , cut into short lengths

1 red chili pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips

1 onion, thinly sliced

Sauce

2 tbsp gojujang

2 tbsp Korean chili powder

1 tbsp crushed garlic paste

1 tbsp minced green onion

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp sesame paste

Directions

1. Clean the octopus by removing the eyes, mouth area, viscera and ink sac. Rinse the octopus well, rub thoroughly with salt, then rinse again. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, immerse the octopus in the boiling water and simmer until it begins to curl, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well. Slice the body and tentacles into 1x2.5 inch strips. Set aside.

2. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and blanch the noodles, stirring to prevent the noodles from sticking together, until soft, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, rinse in cold water and drain well. Divide the noodles equally among 4 serving platters.

3. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

4. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the vegetables for about 1 minute. Add the sauce, mix well and bring to a boil. Add the octopus and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and spread equally over the noodles. Serve immediately.

Serves 4