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    Home » Side Dishes

    Gaji Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Eggplants)

    Published 09/13/2011. Updated 08/10/2023

    Jump to Recipe

    Simple eggplant stir-fry with a spicy kick from gochujang!

    DSC1471 - Gaji Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Eggplants)

    While summer eggplants are still abundant, I wanted to share this very easy but flavorful side dish. Thanks to my container garden, I’ve been enjoying this dish often this summer. 

    For this recipe, you’ll need Korean/Asian eggplants. They have tender skin and sweet flesh. Look for firm and slender eggplants with a rich purple color and shiny skin.

    The eggplants are stir-fried with simple seasonings, including gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste). It adds a nice kick to the tender eggplants. If you like it spicier, add some gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes).

    More eggplant recipes

    Gaji namul (Steamed eggplant side dish)
    Gaji bokkeum (Stir-fried eggplants)
    Gaji hobak muchim (Grilled eggplant and zucchini)
    Gaji mari (egg plant rolls)

    stir fried eggplants - Gaji Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Eggplants)

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC1471 300x300 - Gaji Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Eggplants)

    Gaji Bokkeum (Stir-fried eggplants)

    4.67 from 66 votes
    Side Dish
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 2 medium size Asian eggplants (about 6 ounces each) slender and firm
    • 3 - 4 green chili peppers or 1/2 green pepper
    • 2 tablespoons cooking oil for stir-frying

    Seasoning ingredients

    • 1/2 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) See Note
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon cooking rice wine (mirim/mirin)
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon sugar or your favorite sugar substitue
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
    • pinch pepper

    Instructions

    • Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Then cut crosswise into about 1/2-inch thick chunks. Cut the peppers into about 1-inch long pieces. Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
      gaji 2Bbokkeum 2B1 e1534993636485 - Gaji Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Eggplants)
    • Heat a pan with the oil over medium high heat. Stir fry the eggplants quickly for a minute or two until the outside starts to soften.
      gaji 2Bbokkeum 2B2 e1534993966733 - Gaji Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Eggplants)
    • Add the peppers and the seasoning sauce.
      gaji 2Bbokkeum 2B3 e1534994650418 - Gaji Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Eggplants)
    • Continue to stir-fry until the eggplants are well coated with the seasonings and the peppers are slightly wilted. You can add a tablespoon or two water if the eggplants seem dry while stir-frying. Adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary.
      gaji 2Bbokkeum 2B4 e1534994053684 - Gaji Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Eggplants)

    Notes

    Add some gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) for extra spiciness. 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

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    Comments

    1. Supriya Kutty says

      September 02, 2023 at 4:54 am

      Stir-fried eggplant looks mouthwatering. It is such a versatile and delicious dish, I love how the eggplant soaks up all the savory flavours of the sauce. Thanks for sharing this healthy and tasty recipe.

      Reply
    2. DD says

      May 29, 2021 at 9:28 pm

      5 stars
      I had a hankering for Korean style eggplant with some spicy ramen and this delivered! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    3. Clara says

      May 24, 2021 at 7:45 pm

      5 stars
      This is my go- to recipe nowadays when I have eggplants. I used to just eat gaji namul.

      Thank you for all your recipes. My children eat all of them especially the bossam, LA galbi etc. And bukeoguk/miyukguk etc.

      But I love eggplant a lot. And sometimes I put pickled green chilli on top- instead of in the dish. Home made pickles of course. Thank you for helping my kids eat Korean food outside of Korea. I find that I like the taste of your recipes you see and have tried over 20 to 30 of them from this blog.

      Reply
    4. Richard says

      September 30, 2020 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this exactly as written and OH MY this was VERY good. Simple and easy to prepare and such great balanced flavors. Had this for a light dinner with some fresh rice. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ll be making this again and again.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        October 01, 2020 at 12:14 am

        Awesome! Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know!

        Reply
    5. Samara Cook says

      September 13, 2020 at 1:43 am

      Hello! I have a general question about all your recipes that call for sugar – can I use plum syrup instead of sugar? Or would sugar be better? Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Amber says

      August 27, 2020 at 7:50 am

      5 stars
      This was so good and SO SO delicious. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you.

      I didn’t have mirin, but replaced it with half rice vinegar and half chinese black vinegar, and I added a bit of dark sweet soy sauce. It was great (and I am grateful that it was so easy to pull together!).

      Reply
    7. Sean Stout says

      July 24, 2020 at 10:22 pm

      goes great with a cold glass of beef!

      Reply
    8. Leah Worthington says

      June 12, 2020 at 10:15 am

      5 stars
      This was so wonderfully delicious. Will make again and again! Also just tried your Japchae recipe, and it was equally fantastic. I’ve already shared both recipes with family and friends. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 12, 2020 at 10:11 pm

        Aww that’s awesome!! I’m so delighted to hear that. Thank you so much!

        Reply
    9. Camila says

      December 06, 2019 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious! I had to substitute fresh peppers for dried and added some mushrooms and cavoli nero that needed using, they worked together very nicely. Thanks a lot, will definitely be cooking this again 🙂

      Reply
    10. Jenn says

      November 19, 2019 at 9:00 am

      5 stars
      This was delicious and easy! My fiance brought home some Asian eggplant and I decided to make bulgogi that I had a recipe for. Threw the eggplant recipe together and it was all amazing. Totally forgot to add the sugar, used rice wine vinegar instead of rice wine (oops), and ran out of sesame seeds since I used them for the bulgogi. Even after all of that, we LOVED this recipe! I’ve never been a huge eggplant fan but this I can eat every day. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        November 23, 2019 at 5:17 pm

        Great to hear that! Thank you for letting me know.

        Reply
    11. Alison says

      October 30, 2019 at 8:22 am

      Hi Hyosun, do you think I would be able to replace the gochujang with miso paste? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        November 03, 2019 at 3:43 pm

        Yes you can. Just different flavors, but I’m sure still delicious!

        Reply
    12. Yusra says

      August 10, 2019 at 6:37 am

      I love korean food and u gave me easy recipies .Thank you 구마오어

      Reply
    13. ouimama says

      April 17, 2019 at 12:18 am

      Hi Mme. Ro,
      I want to thank you for making this recipe available for people who are not lucky enough to personally know a generous korean cook, ie, me! This has become my family’s favourite way to enjoy eggplant. I make several of your recipes at home, but this is the one i make most often! Again, thanks!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        April 17, 2019 at 12:54 am

        Hi Ouimama! I’m so happy to hear that. I love this dish too.

        Reply
    14. Robin Springer says

      January 28, 2019 at 3:10 am

      This food looks so wonderful!! Looking forward to your newsletters coming to me 🙂 I’m a big Pinterest / Facebook recipe poster… yours is a beautiful treasure trove! Bessings, Robin

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 28, 2019 at 8:06 pm

        aww thank you, Robin!

        Reply
    15. Brian says

      January 20, 2019 at 10:11 am

      Where the hell is the video I found this in the Google video tab

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 20, 2019 at 10:18 am

        Google must have mis-categorized it. There’s no video here.

        Reply
    16. Stephanie Thompson says

      August 20, 2018 at 3:43 am

      Would love to see this page with the nice print option that you have on some other recipes! Thanks.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 22, 2018 at 11:26 pm

        Done!

        Reply
    17. Heather says

      July 21, 2018 at 10:09 pm

      I made this today with some eggplants from the farmers’ market and it was just crazy good! I have been really enjoying your recipes!

      Reply
    18. Whitney says

      April 26, 2018 at 10:33 pm

      Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it with some Bulgogi and it was a hit! I love eggplant but this takes it to a whole new level. This is definitely going to be my go to recipe from now on.

      Reply
    19. BOh says

      October 11, 2017 at 4:56 pm

      Love this dish! My husband is Korean and it’s not the usual for him but I love it with just rice. No need for meat.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        October 11, 2017 at 7:19 pm

        That’s great to hear! Hopefully your husband will become a fan of it too. Thank you so much for the feedback!

        Reply
    20. Angela Kahl says

      May 30, 2017 at 5:26 am

      Thanks to a miscommunication in the farmer’s market (My Korean really is rubbish, it’s sad to watch…), I have a mess of eggplant here and I’ve never cooked with it before.

      GUESS WHAT’S FOR DINNER!!!!!!

      Reply
    21. Marielena Richardson says

      April 25, 2017 at 8:42 pm

      Thank you for this recipe. I made it tonight and my husband and I loved it!

      Reply
    22. Raheli says

      June 23, 2016 at 5:09 pm

      What a wonderful recipe! I made leftovers into a cold salad, with mango, avocado, stir-fried tofu and a little extra korean chili powder. It was a delicious addition to our picnic. Thank you for sharing your home-cooked Korean recipes!

      Reply
    23. Molly says

      July 19, 2015 at 8:39 pm

      Delicious! I made this tonight along with the potato pancakes from this site and topped them with purchased bulgogi. So easy and sooooo good. I have tagged all your recipes. I can’t wait to try more.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        July 21, 2015 at 12:41 am

        oh that sounds like a great dinner! Thanks for using my recipes!

        Reply
    24. Emily Jang says

      June 30, 2015 at 10:35 am

      This was soooo delicious!! I usually don’t like eggplant banchan but I wanted to try it because the picture made it look so delicious. I LOVED it. It was perfectly spiced and flavorful and the eggplant was soft and tender, not chewy or watery. Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 30, 2015 at 8:20 pm

        Awesome – another eggplant lover was born! Thanks for the feedback, Emily! Happy Korean cooking!

        Reply
    25. ken B says

      June 20, 2014 at 11:46 pm

      Dear HYOSUN RO, This was easy, as you said, and tasty. Did it for a music concert and it was liked by my companion, as something to put on chips. She was happy the eggplant wasn’t mushy and I was happy. Just made it again with some additions, like chopped Fennel and it is very nice. Thanks for replying to comments and leaving this nice recipe for us to use…

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 21, 2014 at 1:39 am

        Hi Ken – I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you. Great to hear it works well with chips. I should try it. Chopped fennel sounds great too. Nice idea! Thanks for coming by and letting me know!! Cheers!

        Reply
    26. Diane Balch says

      September 16, 2013 at 12:24 pm

      Just wanted you to know that your recipe is being included in a eggplant collection today on Simple Living and Eating.

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        September 16, 2013 at 5:05 pm

        Thank you so much! I’m honored. All the featured dishes look great.

        Reply
    27. Sook M says

      August 20, 2013 at 9:28 am

      Thanks for recipe. Made it yesterday and I must say it tasted even better today

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        August 20, 2013 at 9:33 pm

        Awesome! Thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
    28. Hyosun Ro says

      October 18, 2011 at 12:59 pm

      Thank you, Roxana!

      Reply
    29. Roxana GreenGirl says

      October 18, 2011 at 10:20 am

      we all love eggplants around here and a new cooking idea is always welcomed.
      Looks really really good!

      Reply
    30. Hyosun Ro says

      October 04, 2011 at 1:11 pm

      Thank you, Biren!

      Reply
    31. Biren @ Roti n Rice says

      October 04, 2011 at 1:09 pm

      This looks so spicy and delicious. I love spicy food and have a big tub of gochujang in the fridge. I use it for lots of dishes including fried rice 🙂

      Reply
    32. Hyosun Ro says

      September 17, 2011 at 4:47 pm

      Thank you, Jane! I am sure your mom love those phone calls from you, but I am glad to be part of your learning Korean cooking.

      Reply
    33. jane k says

      September 17, 2011 at 6:18 am

      just wanted to say thanks a lot for maintaining this blog. i live far away from my mom and don’t really cook korean food that often so it’s nice to have recipes instead of bugging my mom over the phone. she wholly encourages me to eat more korean! i’m trying to widen my culinary horizons from just rice and store-bought banchan. 🙂

      Reply
    34. Hyosun Ro says

      September 15, 2011 at 4:25 pm

      Nami – Of course you can add pork and make it a main dish. The amount of gochujang in this recipe does not make it really spicy, but I am curious how the Japanese brand gochujang is. Thanks for stopping by!

      Andrea – My eggplants have done pretty well this year even with the extreme heat wave we had this summer. But they seem to do better with lots of water and cooler weather. Thanks for visiting!

      Reply
    35. Andrea@WellnessNotes says

      September 15, 2011 at 1:26 pm

      I love eggplant, but I have never grown it. I think I’ll try to grow some next year!

      This is one of my favorite ways to eat eggplant!

      Reply
    36. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

      September 15, 2011 at 7:29 am

      I use Gochujang a lot but this is Japanese brand that I’m not sure if spicy level is same as Korean one, but it works for me since I can’t eat too spicy. I’m going to make this soon!! I can’t add pepper, so either just eggplants or… can I add pork? Or does it make totally wrong dish. =P I’m trying to make it “main” course since my husband needs meat. Heheh.

      Reply
    37. Hyosun Ro says

      September 15, 2011 at 3:27 am

      Thank you, Danielle! Hope you and your husband enjoy it as much as we do.

      Reply
    38. Danielle says

      September 15, 2011 at 3:03 am

      This sounds amazing! My husband’s favorite food is eggplant. Can’t wait to give it a try.

      Reply
    39. Hyosun Ro says

      September 14, 2011 at 11:00 pm

      Anonymous – That’s great! Glad you and your husband liked it. Thanks for taking the time to give me a feedback.

      Reply
    40. Anonymous says

      September 14, 2011 at 8:22 pm

      Yum, I just made this tonight and it was delicious. My Korean husband loved it too! Thanks for posting this great recipe!

      Reply
    4.67 from 66 votes (59 ratings without comment)

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    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

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