Portions: 2 to 3
Time: About 1 hour
Dak Galbi has a relatively short history dating back to the 1960’s. A restaurant owner named Young Chul Kim was running a hole in the wall BBQ restaurant and ran out of pork ribs one day and used chicken instead. Since then, the chicken version has become really popular among college students and those serving in the military for it’s relatively cheap price.
Dak Galbi is the most enjoyable when you cook it with friends and family. While the curry powder is an unusual ingredient in Korean cooking, it adds a layer of smoky heat to the dish. Enjoy with rice and Soju for a perfect pairing. Cheese is not a part of the dish traditionally but has become a popular add-on and you’ll understand why when you try it!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pack(1.3 lbs) Boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-2 inch squares
- 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- Green Cabbage 1/4 head, cut into 1-2 inch squares
- Yellow Onion 1/2 onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
- Sweet Potato 1 cup, cut into 1/2 inch thickness (french fry shape)
- Rice Cake 1 cup (optional)
- Cheese 2-3 slices of mozzarella or cheddar
- Green Onion 2 Tbsp, thin sliced
For the sauce
- 3 Tbsp Gochu Garu (Korean red pepper powder, coarse)
- 1.5 Tbsp Gochu Jang
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup Apple Juice
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Corn Syrup
- 1/2 Tbsp Curry Powder
- 1/2 tsp Ginger, minced
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Black Pepper
- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.
- Add the chicken to the sauce and marinate for about 30 minutes.
- In a skillet pan, drizzle some cooking oil and spread out the sweet potatoes and green cabbage on the bottom.
- On top of green cabbage and sweet potato, add yellow onion and rice cake (optional).
- On top of vegetables, add the marinated chicken.
- Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. You’ll start hearing a sizzling sound from the bottom of the pan. Don’t mix or move anything. Just let the mixture sizzle.
- Increase the heat to medium high and start stirring vegetables and chicken for about 8-10 minutes. As vegetables get wilted, there will be more water that integrates with the marinade creating a slightly thick sauce. If you added rice cake, make sure it doesn’t get scorched on the bottom of the pan by stirring occasionally.
- Add cheese at this point if you like, lower the heat to medium, cover the pan, and wait till the cheese is melted and gooey.
- Turn the heat off and garnish with sliced green onions.
Enjoy!