A Look at Korean Temple Food

You might be familiar with Korean food, but there's growing interest in Korean Temple Food. Based on the diet of monks, it avoids meat and aliums like garlic or onion. But it's anything but boring - instead they focus on fermenting and other techniques to give a unique and exciting flavor.

We delved into a simple recipe for pan-fried potatoes you can try at home. So watch the video above or follow the recipe below!

Gamja-Gui or Pan-Fried Potato

MAKES 4 SIDE SERVINGS

Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes, peeled
3 fresh chestnuts, peeled
3 dried Korean red dates (aka jujube)
5 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
Barley Syrup Sauce
3 tablespoons Korean barley syrup or substitute with
another syrup such as agave syrup
2 tablespoons crushed sesame seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce


Cut the potatoes into thin slices and soak them in water to remove starch. Cut the chestnuts and dates into julienne strips. Mix all the ingredients for the seasoning base and add to a pan. Bring it up to a simmer over medium heat. Add the julienned chestnuts and dates to the pan and cook over medium heat until the barley syrup sauce is mostly absorbed in the chestnuts and dates. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Drain the potato slices. On a heated large skillet, drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to coat the skillet. Pan-fry the potato slices in the skillet in batches. For serving, place the potato slices on a plate and top each slice with the julienned chestnut and dates soaked in
barley syrup sauce.