The Korean Steamed Egg Dish You Should Know

Nowadays, food trends change faster than the wind. The latest egg trend that has swept people off their feet is the Korean steamed egg dish- Gyeran-jjim. Let’s see what is all this fuss about-

Gyeran-jjim (계란찜) or steamed eggs is a type of jjim, a Korean steamed dish. It is a custardy, casserole-like banchan (side dish), often seasoned with saeu-jeot (salted shrimp) or myeongnan-jeot (salted pollock roe) and topped with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. 

Ideally, this dish should be light and fluffy, and it can be cooked in several ways. It can be steamed, double-boiled, or boiled in a stovetop-safe crock on a very low heat. For faster cooking, some people microwave the bowl.

The basic of the dish is that the eggs are sieved and whisked with water until the mixture is smooth and creamy. You can also use broth instead of water to enrich the dish. The dish also uses mushrooms, peas, onions, Korean zucchini, carrots, and other vegetables for their own twist on the dish. The dish is then seasoned with saeu-jeot (salted shrimp), myeongnan-jeot (salted pollock roe), or salt, and optionally ground black pepper. Before served, it is topped with chopped scallions or crown daisy greens, gochutgaru (chili flakes) or sil-gochu (shredded dry red chili)

Now, let’s see a recipe of Korean steamed egg dish- 

Ingredients-

4  large eggs

¾  cup vegetable broth or water 

Fish sauce

2 chopped spring onions

1 tbsp oil

Sesame seeds

Method- 

  1. Beat the eggs until mixed and run through the sieve to make it smooth.
  2. Mix the beaten eggs well with the broth or water and add fish sauce.
  3. Lightly oil your pot or bowl with 1/2 teaspoon oil. 

Use one of the following cooking methods depending on the cookware used:

Earthenware/ceramic pot:

  • Add the egg mixture to the pot. Cover, and simmer. 
  • When the eggs start to set at the bottom, stir, and reduce the heat to medium-low or low.
  • Cover, and continue to simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring a couple of times, gently stirring the eggs in a circling motion with a spoon.
  • Drizzle with oil and sesame seeds.

Stockpot:

  • Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. 
  • Carefully place the bowl in the pot. Cover the pot and steam for 8 minutes over medium-low heat. 
  • Gently stir the eggs with a spoon. Add the scallions, cover, and steam for an additional 4 minutes or until the mixture is set.

Microwave

  • Place the bowl with the egg mixture in the microwave. 
  • Cook for 2 minutes, and stir. 
  • Cook again for another 2 minutes, and stir. 
  • Check to see if the egg is still runny in the middle, and cook for another minute or until the egg is set in the middle.

Your Korean steamed egg dish is ready to serve!