Gamja-jorim
감자조림
Potatoes soy-braised until they shine — the lunchbox banchan that tastes better cold.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: 감자조림.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Gamja-jorim is cubed potato simmered in soy, sugar and garlic until the cubes glaze. A little chilli is optional. It belongs in a dosirak next to rice and an egg. The potatoes should hold their shape and taste deeply savoury-sweet, not like boiled potatoes with soy poured on top. Cut even cubes so they finish together. Simmer in soy, sugar, garlic and a little water until the liquid becomes a glaze that clings — do not boil so hard the edges collapse into mash. A dried chilli is optional heat. Sesame oil and seeds at the end; done is intact cubes that taste savoury-sweet all the way through, not boiled potato with soy poured over; if the pan dries before the centres cook, add a splash, not a new flood.
Ingredients
- Potato, peeled, 2 cm cubes500 g
- Soy sauce44 ml
- Sugar22 ml
- Garlic3 clove
- Toasted sesame oil4.9 ml
- Sesame seed4.9 ml
- Fresh chilli (optional)1
- Water250 ml
- Neutral oil15 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
In a wide pan, coat the potatoes in a film of oil 2 minutes. Add soy, sugar, garlic, chilli and water. The liquid should come halfway up the cubes.
3 minStep 2
Simmer uncovered, shaking now and then, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is a glaze, 15–20 minutes. Add a splash of water if they dry before they cook.
18 minStep 3
Sesame oil and seeds. Cool slightly — the glaze sets.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 October.
Substitutions
Sugar → A drizzle of honey or rice syrup
Shinier glaze.
Tips
- A few chunks of dried anchovy or a piece of kelp in the braise is an old-school savoury boost. Lift them out.
- Waxy potatoes hold. Floury ones crumble — still tasty.
History & culture
Home banchan and convenience-store memory. Also the thing you make when the meat budget is gone. Kids' banchan trays and church potlucks rely on it because it is cheap and keeps. Convenience-store dosirak memory is mostly this glaze. Meat-budget weeks still put it next to rice and a fried egg. Adults who claim they are tired of it will finish the bowl.
Jorim (soy braises) are a whole family. Potato is the cheap, reliable one. Potato is a New World crop that became ordinary in Korean home cooking later than the soy-jorim technique itself. The cheap, reliable potato braise is twentieth-century banchan culture. We do not need a royal potato. Date it as modern cupboard cooking in an older jorim family.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Gamja-jorim take?
35 min all in — 10 min prep, 25 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Soy, Sesame. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Vegan.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Soy sauce — 3 tbsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much soy sauce?
3 tbsp of Soy sauce.
How much sugar?
1½ tbsp of Sugar.
How much toasted sesame oil?
1 tsp of Toasted sesame oil.
What can I use instead?
Sugar → A drizzle of honey or rice syrup. Shinier glaze.
Any tips from this recipe?
A few chunks of dried anchovy or a piece of kelp in the braise is an old-school savoury boost. Lift them out. Waxy potatoes hold. Floury ones crumble — still tasty.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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