How to cook perfect carrots in Korean?

Korean carrots are a favorite savory snack for many, without which almost no feast is complete. Many people buy it ready-made. But if you want to cook such a dish at home, you need to know some features.

Choosing the right carrot

The taste of a dish depends entirely on the ingredients used to prepare it; any housewife knows this. So the first and almost the most important step on the path to the perfect Korean carrot is the right carrot. First of all, it must be ripe and juicy.

You should not use root vegetables that are too large, as they may have too dense and stringy flesh, as well as an unpleasant, slightly bitter taste. Choose medium-sized carrots; they are the most durable and dense, and are also easier to chop.

Carefully inspect each selected carrot. There should be no stains or damage on the surface.

Correct grinding

How to chop carrots for salad? The pieces in a real appetizer prepared according to all the rules are thin and long. To make them like this, you need to use a special grater, which can be purchased in specialized stores or departments.

You cannot use a regular grater, as the pieces will turn out too thin and, when interacting with seasonings and marinade, they will simply soften and turn out tasteless. But long strips will crunch.

If you don’t have a special grater, try using a regular knife for slicing. But it must certainly be sharp, otherwise proper grinding will become impossible. First, cut the carrots into two halves lengthwise, then cut the resulting parts into thin slices, and then divide each slice into strips.

What ingredients will be needed?

To make your homemade snack piquant and tasty, prepare all the necessary ingredients:

  • Carrot. We have already dealt with this component.
  • Vinegar. It is necessary for preparing the marinade, so it is a mandatory ingredient. Experienced housewives advise using light table vinegar rather than concentrated essence. Apple juice is also suitable, but due to its specificity, it can overpower the taste of carrots, so it is important not to overdo it. You can also use balsamic vinegar. It is softer and at the same time gives the dish a subtle piquant taste.
  • Sugar. It is also necessary. And although the snack should be spicy, without adding sugar it can turn out very sour, which will ruin the taste. But if carrots are very sweet on their own, then you don’t need to add sugar. To determine this, be sure to try a piece of the root vegetable before cooking, because if you overdo it with sweetness, then the piquancy will not be enough.
  • Salt. You can use regular table water, iodized water or sea water.
  • Ground red pepper. It is also a necessary ingredient, so you can’t do without it.

How to make a snack?

How to cook carrots in Korean correctly and, what is much more important, tasty? You will need the following ingredients:

  • kilogram of carrots;
  • a tablespoon of sugar;
  • a teaspoon of salt;
  • two tablespoons of 9% vinegar;
  • 50 ml vegetable oil;
  • red pepper to taste.

Preparation:

  1. Grate the carrots on a special grater or cut into strips with a knife. Then place it in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and salt, sprinkle with vinegar and mix well and knead lightly with your hands for three to four minutes.
  2. Leave the carrots to steep for 15-20 minutes until they begin to produce juice. Then add red pepper and mix everything well again.
  3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, but do not bring to a boil.
  4. Pour hot oil into the carrots and stir vigorously again.
  5. Now the snack should brew for 10-15 hours at room temperature. It's best to leave it overnight.
  6. Place the finished snack in the refrigerator, covering it with a lid.

  • You can use other spices, but their taste should not be too bright and rich, otherwise the appetizer will simply lose its uniqueness. You need to add seasonings along with red pepper so that they have time to saturate the carrots. In addition, it is important not to overdo it, otherwise the dish may turn out too spicy.
  • The oil only needs to be heated and not boiled, otherwise it will acquire an unpleasant aftertaste. In addition, harmful carcinogens will begin to form in it.
  • To make the oil aromatic, you can not just heat it, but during heating, add, for example, garlic. Then remove the garlic and add the oil to the appetizer. You can also use onions to add an interesting aroma and taste. And if you want to make the dish more spicy, lightly fry the chili pepper or paprika in oil. But be careful, as not everyone likes too much spice.
  • Sesame seeds add piquancy to Korean carrots. Just fry it a little in a frying pan and add it to your appetizer. You can also use sesame oil.
  • If you want to speed up the process of cooking carrots a little, then simply simmer them a little in the oven at about 50-70 degrees. But don't overdo it, otherwise the carrots will become very soft. It needs to change color slightly and soften just a little.
  • You can add garlic or fresh cilantro to the appetizer. But this should be done almost before serving or about 10-15 minutes before it.
  • If the dish turns out to be very spicy, then try adding a little sugar to it. Walnuts will also absorb some of the bitterness.
  • The prepared snack should be stored in the refrigerator in a container with a lid. In this form, it will retain its properties and taste for two weeks.
  • If you want to bring the taste of the snack closer to the classic one, then use coarsely ground red pepper. Although the regular one, sold in powder form, is also suitable.

Be sure to use the recipe given above and please yourself, your loved ones and your guests!

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