Hi Everyone! Today, I will make one of my favorite Korean side dishes using garlic stems. It is stir-fried garlic stems, called maneuljjong bbokkeum (마늘쫑 볶음) in Korean. Mild garlic flavor from the garlic stems with a sweet and savory flavor makes a great side-dish. The soft and chewy texture makes it even better. Try this delicious dish when you have access to garlic stems in the oriental grocery store.
Yield: 1 Quart
Short Korean Lesson
- MaNeul (마늘) = Garlic
- Pa (파) = Green Onion
Video Instructions
Main Ingredients
- 4 Cups Garlic Stems (½ lb)
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Corn Syrup
- 3 Tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds (Garnish)
Directions
Obtain about 4 cups of garlic stems. Wash them well and then cut them into about 2-inch pieces.
Add 2 Tbsp of cooking oil and the garlic stems in a heated pan.
Fry for 5 minutes on medium.
Add 3 Tbsp of soy sauce, 3 Tbsp of corn syrup, and 3 Tbsp of water in the pan. You can substitute the corn syrup with sugar. Adjust the sweetness depending on what you use.
Cook covered for 15 minutes on medium.
Then remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes on medium-high, or until the sauce thickens.
Turn off the heat and then sprinkle 1 tsp of sesame seeds on top.
Now you have a delicious garlic stem side.
My husband, son, and I love this side dish. Store this in the refrigerator after making it. Serve with rice and other Korean side dishes. Enjoy!
I did not know that garlic tops were edible, let alone delicious. They are similar in taste to chives, only bigger and more meatier. The taste of this dish is like a caramelized soy taste, if there is such a thing. It is very good. I can eat them like candy, although they are not as sweet as candy. There is another way to prepare these. It is spicy with red pepper power. I also like that dish. Hopefully Aeri will make that soon, although it will probably have to wait until the spring when we can buy more tops.
Hi, honey~~
haha..I can make soy sauce candy for you for Christmas !!! you have to eat them all since I don’t want !!!!! (jk) Yep !! I will make that spicy one in the spring !! I can’t wait for spring.. Let’s plant more vegetables next spring okay ?? 😀
You gave me a new way to deal with the garlic stems. Normally after washing and cutting, I put the garlic stems in a jar with soy sauce and some vinegar and let it stay in the fridge without disturbing it for at least a month and when I am ready to eat it, I just add the go-ju-jung. Thank you for the new way of cooking.
Hi, Krystal
I know what you are talking about. Yes, I was going to post that type of garlic stem sidedish someday… hehe Thanks !! Are you a Korean by the way ?? I think you know about Korean food. 🙂
Yay! I made these the other day with sugar and they were just good. Your recipe made them excellent. Thanks for giving me a simple recipe to help me meet my goal of having several simple types of panchan on hand at home.
I have garlic planted but what’s growing out of the soil looks more like garlic chives. These look like green beans. Is it a different type of garlic type?
hi Bo,
I think it’s from normal garlic..
here is a link for you about this..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Garlic_scape.jpg
if you planted garlic… you will get this too..
hi aeri. today i went to a korean shop and they have this garlic tops but spicy version. i think they put gochujang (sorry if i spelled it wrongly). i tried it n a love it very much. they also have one in cucumber and again they put lots of the chili pepper paste. can u tell me the recipes for those ❓
hi layping,
I can guess what you are talking about.. just I have to cook it to get a recipe … and only spring I can get garlic tops.. so I will add it to my list..and make it later.. sorry ^^
I don’t know what the cucumber one is.. it is also garlic top with cucumber ??? or just cucumber side-dish ??
Aeri 언니!!!!! Thank you soooooo much!!! I tried this recipe with my 큰엄마’s 마늘쫑 that she planted. And oh my, it’s was AMAZING. I wish we had more of it, my family and I ate it all ㅠㅠ Thank you for the recipe!!! I will try it again on Sunday. (In Korea) LOL 😀
Hi Aeri
Great job. Your cooking instructions are fantastic. Thank you so much.
Could I ask you if I have a party or if I want to prepare in much bigger quantity for the side dishes to give to my loved ones, how do I estimate how much ingredients for preparation since its for bigger quantity? And also, how long can all these side dishes be kept in the fridge? How soon must it be consumed in order not to waste it? As we are living in a busy world, all these side dishes really can help save our cooking time daily. I really hope I can find all these ingredients in Singapore as I am a Korean food lover 😛
Appreciate your advice. Thank you.
Yours truly
Jen
hi Jen,
Depends on how much you want.. you can double or triple recipe amount..
this side dish can last for 2-3 weeks.. 🙂
Thanks.
Hi Aeri
Thanks very much for your prompt reply.
Jen
hi Jen,
You are very welcome, Jen. Please come back and communicate with me more often. 😀