Kongjang (콩장), also called kongjaban (콩자반), is a sweet and savory braised soybean dish. It’s a staple side dish in Korean homes.
On weekends, I try to make a few side dishes, banchan (반찬), to help make my weeknight meal preparations easier. During the week, I make a quick soup, stew, or meat dish and serve it with the pre-made side dishes.
I mentioned in the previous posts, that those side dishes that are made to last relatively long and served with meals over several days (or weeks) are called mit-banchan (밑반찬), meaning basic side dishes. There are a number of them, ranging from stir-fried dried anchovies to pickled perilla leaves. We grew up on these mitbanchan dishes. They were a big part of every meal, including home-packed school lunch boxes.
What kind of beans to use
Kongjang is typically made with dried black soybeans, but you can also make it with yellow soybeans. Black soybeans are called geomjeongkong (검정콩) or seoritae (서리태) in Korean and available at Korean or Asian grocery stores. Be sure to pick out rotten/broken beans before soaking.
The soaked beans should be cooked in water first before you add the sugar and soy sauce for slow braising. This will keep the beans from getting hard. Cooking in an open pot helps reduce the liquid and gives the kongjang beans their unique shiny and wrinkled look.
The result is sweet and savory beans that are a tad chewy, giving a nice contrast to steamed rice they accompany!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup dried black soybeans (seoritae, 서리태) or yellow soybeans
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cooking rice wine (mirim/mirin)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons oligodang (올리고당) or rice syrup (조청) or corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds - optional
Instructions
- Rinse the dried soybeans a couple of times. Drain. Soak the beans in 2 cups of water for 2 - 3 hours or until the beans are softened. (The time required may vary depending on the beans.)
- Pour the beans and soaking water in to a medium size pot. Bring it to a boil. Continue to cook, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Stir a couple of times so the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. Reduce the heat to medium. Boil, uncovered, until the sauce is mostly evaporated and reduced to a couple of tablespoons, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Keep your eyes on the pot during the last few minutes to avoid burning the beans.)
- Add the syrup, stirring well to coat for a minute or two before turning the heat off. Sprinkle with the optional sesame seeds. The beans will be soft at first, but they will get a bit chewier in the fridge.
Lori says
Simple, authentic, yummy!
jason says
is this dish ever made with white soybeans?
Hyosun says
Yes sometimes!
Arleen says
Can i use dried black beans? i don’t have black soybeans
Hyosun says
It’ll be quite different in terms of the texture and taste, but you can try it.
Margaret says
I had soaked yellow soy beans for 8 hours before I found this recipe. I wonder if that is why my beans turned out crunchy after following the recipe? Not at all soft and chewy.
Hyosun says
Sorry I missed your question until now. Soybeans should be soft enough to cook after 8 hours. That shouldn’t be the reason. Try boiling longer next time in step 2.
Ggrey says
These are delicious. They are very chewy and are strange to eat at first because of it. But after a few bites, they are great. I eat them as a snack, too. My mil is Korean and has made these for me many times, your recipe comes out exactly like hers!
Hyosun says
Oh that’s nice! I’m glad you can recreate your mil’s kongjang with this recipe.
Jericca says
Thank you very much for this recipe. I lived in Bundang for a few years and our hagwon emo made the best banchan and I have been trying to make her dishes back home for a long time without much success.
Nicole says
These are so yummy! Thank you for sharing all your recipes!
My beans took much longer than 10 minutes to cook. About 1 hour more or less.
Hyosun says
Great to hear it was yummy! But, it shouldn’t take that long. Maybe you should soak the beans longer next time. Also, the texture of this dish should be somewhat chewy not soft/mushy.
Waves says
Hi there! I think I didn’t soak the beans for long enough so now they are a bit hard. Is there any way to fix it now that I’ve finished cooking?
Hyosun says
hmmm not sure if you can undo what’s done with this dish. The texture is already set through the cooking process. If you want to experiment, try to simmer in water for a long time and see if the beans soften. I haven’t done it so can’t really tell you if that would work.
Diane says
Hi! Is there any alternative to the syrups? I can’t find the oligodang and I can’t eat corn syrup! Help! I’m thinking about using sorghum which is a syrup made from a wheat-like product but it has a sort of strong flavor…
Thanks!
Hyosun says
Hmm I’ve never tried sorghum so not sure about the flavor. The syrup is used to make the dish a bit sticky and shiny. You can use honey instead or simply use sugar.
Philip says
Would it be possible to use canned black beans instead? Would the braising portion of the recipe change?
philip says
Just tried the recipe today, turned out really well. I’ve enjoyed this side dish since I worked in Seoul in the 90s and watched a young kid eat them with rice.
Hyosun says
Awesome! Please accept my belated thank you.
MJC says
Need to add two cloves of chopped garlic after cooking. Also works okay with frijoles negro, Mexican black beans but comes out a little starchy. Do not overcook the beans.
Marie Peter says
Excellent ! I let soak the black soybeans overnight so I cook them with a lower heat. Turned out great. I’ll try with different beans. The roasted sesame seeds make the difference between good and excellent 🙂
Elena says
this recipe tastes so delicious! i will refer to the website for many more recipes!
i wanted to confirm that i was doing everything correct.
we should not soak beans overnight -like in many other cuisines- but just enough to soften?
also 10 minutes for the beans is very short cooking time – with the goal to slightly undecook them?
(i use different black beans, not soy beans)
Seth says
Yep the beans should be chewy, almost like al dente pasta, not soft and creamy like you would typically cook pinto beans or kidney beans.
Hyosun says
Thank you Seth!
Hyosun says
The beans are actually cooked over 30 minutes in total. First 10 min and then 20 min after adding soy sauce and other ingredients, followed by a couple more minutes after the syrup is added.
Courtney Faiello says
Very delicious, thank you! I used yellow soybeans but will try it with black next time.
Hyosun says
Great! You’ll love black beans as well.
Raymond I Szatmari says
I have long followed Maangchi and now I have found you, a treasure! I’m not even Korean, rather Hungarian with a longtime fascination for the cuisine. My first attempt to cook Korean in the 80s found no cookbooks in English! We now live in wondrous times, thank you so much.
Monica Rampo says
Hi there, I’m Indonesian and I want to make my own chunjang, can I use konjang for the ingredient?
I really want to make jajangmyeon but hard to find chunjang in here. When I try to find chunjang recipe, it needs fermented black soy beans. But I don’t know how to ferment black soy beans (it is easy to find black soy beans here). Read wikihow or ehow, mentioned that need culture to do that.
If you know how to make fermented black soy beans in easy way, and chunjang your version, would you mind sharing it? I really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Oh just to let you know, I love your blog, and already tried some of your recipes like dak mandu, mak kimchi, putbaechu doenjang muchim, subak hwachae, pumpkin hotteok, dakgangjeong. I posted the recipes and link back to Korean Bapsang. Your blog is my reference when I want cook Korean food.
Thanks,
Monica
Haewon says
Same question!
Geun Yoo says
I just made a batch, but I’m wondering how long will they last in the fridge?
Hyosun says
It should last up to 3 weeks.
Alice Siar says
We bought some braised black bean from Gwangjang Market. It was all black & skin were all intact. However I followed your recipe to braise them the black bean skins were all loose & off the beans. Would like to know why it is so? What’s the cause of it. Thanks.
Hyosun says
hmm how long did you soak the beans? That can happen if the beans were soaked too long. You can tell from the photos mine were all black with skin all intact too.
Deborah says
I’m an American married to a Korean that recently relocated to Hong Kong. Funny, when we lived in Seoul we didn’t cook Korean as often but now we can’t get enough of it. Every dish I’ve made from your site has met with smiles from my husband, declarations that it’s perfect and requests to make it again and again. Black beans are happily on the menu for tonight, a frequently repeated dish.
Just wanted to pop in and say thanks! You’ve made us a little bit less homesick.
Hyosun says
Hi Deborah! I’m so happy to hear that! And thank you so much for taking the time to write me a note! Hope you and your husband fully enjoy Hong Kong and all the Korean foods you make there.
Abu Sarwar says
Seoritae bean is linked to a study in Korea which reduces enlarged prostate. Can you please tell me where to find in USA.
Hyosun says
You can find black soybeans at any Korean market in the U.S.
Howard says
I love the kong jang but always bought it from the Korean chain store in Atlanta because I live about 120 miles away. I will try to make it by myself this weekend. Wish me a luck!
Hyosun says
You can do it! It will be good. Thanks for coming by!
michael north says
I am making this today had such a hard time finding black soybeans so I am using yellow ones can’t wait to eat this trying to switch my diet and I believe Korean food is so much healthier and less processed already made your garlic recipe the mit banchan dishes are awesome! thank you
Hyosun Ro says
Great! Thanks!! Yellow ones are fine as well. Enjoy!
butterfingers says
Eversince I encounter this recipe of yours, this dish is frequently in my fridge! Thanks.
Soyon says
Yeah, I don’t think I’ve had this in about a decade either. My mom used to always have some of this and some other banchans in her fridge. I’ll have to try this and see if my kids will like it.
Sue | My Korean Kitchen says
This is one of my favourite side dishes! Haven’t had it for ages.. (like a decade) 🙂 Thanks for reminding me.
Anonymous says
Can brown rice syrup or honey be used in place corn syrup? Will it give the sweetness and sheen?
Hyosun Ro says
Yes, you can use either one. It will be good. Thanks!
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
This is one of my favorite side dish! I love sweetened beans. 🙂
Sophia K. says
Is rice wine the same as Mirin or are you referring to Soju?
Hyosun Ro says
I mean cooking rice wine, but you can also use mirin. Added it to the recipe. Thanks!