Autumn is a good time to start eating more root vegetables. Burdock root (ueong, 우엉) is very popular in Korea and other Asian countries. It’s full of nutrients and an excellent source of fiber. I love the root’ssweet, earthy flavor and crisp, chewy texture! Ueong jorim (우엉 조림) is a simple dish to make by lightly braising in a sweet, soy sauce.
Gently scrape off the skin with a knife or the back of a knife. Since the root is pretty fibrous, I like to cut it into match sticks. Once it’s cut, the root will turn brown quickly. You can soak it in vinegar water to prevent discoloring, but it’s really not necessary for this dish as it will be braised in a dark sauce anyway. You will lose some flavor if you soak in water.
Ueong jorim is simply delicious as a side dish for any Korean meal. It’s also great as a gimbap filling.
The tableware (except the glassware) shown in the final photos of this post are sponsored by Huue Craft, an online store dedicated to the finest Korean pottery tableware. They ship worldwide to over 25 countries. Visit Huue Craft online store for the beautiful tableware created by five of the renowned potters in Korea!
Ingredients
- 1 burdock root about 1/2 pound
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or perilla seed oil - deulgireum, 들기름
- 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice syrup jocheong, 조청 or corn syrup (mulyeot, 물엿)
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse the root. Cut into 2 long pieces. Scrape off the skin with a knife or the back of a knife.
- Cut each piece diagonally into thin slices. Gather a few thin slices at a time, and cut into match sticks.
- Heat a pan. Add the burdock root and a tablespoon of sesame oil or perilla seed oil. Stir-fry until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add 4 tablespoons water, the soy sauce, and rice syrup. Simmer over medium low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Kylie says
Hello! I live in Australia and don’t have access to fresh burdock root, but I do have dried!
Is there any way of making this recipe using dried burdock root? And do you have other ideas how I can use my supply of it?
Thank you!
Hyosun says
Hello! Hmmm I haven’t tried it with dried burdock root. I’m not sure how it will dehydrate. Why don’t you try to soak in water and see how it is. Or you might already be doing this, but it would be great to make a tea with.
sue says
when recipes call for using sesame oil for sauteing, is toasted sesame oil what is meant, or is raw cold pressed sesame oil indicated?
Thanks–have been lockdown-viewing many Asian dramas, and fascinated with the foods being shown. Going to try adding some to my rotation.
Hyosun says
Korean sesame oil is generally toasted and pressed, not typically used as cooking oil although sometimes used in stir-fries.
Saumya Gwari says
hey!! From where can I get burdock roots?
Also, I love your recipes and I have made some awesome dishes, Thank you so much for filling my cravings 🙂
Hyosun says
You should be able to find them at Korean markets or other Asian markets. Thank you so much for trying my recipes! So happy to hear you love them.
sue says
*try Filipino stores too–they often carry a variety of Asian veggies.
reem says
here is a really weird question – i want to make the gimbap today and due to quarantine, can not go out to buy burdock. question is, could i try it with potatoes ? or just skip it completely for the Gimbap ?
Hyosun says
you can just skip it, and add more of other ingredients that you’re using. I haven’t used potatoes in my gimbap, but you can practically use anything for gimbap. That versatile!
David Lee says
Hi Mrs. Ro,
I am really excited to try this recipe. A question I have is can honey or sugar be used instead of rice or corn syrup? Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🙂
Hyosun says
Sure. Use honey, a little less than the amount for corn syrup because honey is sweeter.
Becky says
The taste isn’t sweet. Did I do something wrong?
Hyosun says
It should be slightly sweet if you used the corn syrup as specified in the recipe. If you did and it’s still not sweet enough, use some more or add some sugar. Hope this helps. Cheers!
Lisa says
I love this recipe!! It’s simple yet so delicious.
June Lim says
For how long can we keep this in the fridge?
Hyosun says
It should be fine for 2 to 3 weeks. Enjoy!