Kongjaban is a common Korean side dish made from black beans. It is very popular for lunch boxes because it is easy to make and it lasts a long time in the refrigerator. The bean flavor mixed with soy sauce and sugar gives it good flavor.
Yield: 1 Pint
Short Korean Lesson
- GeomJung (검정) = Black
- Kong (콩) = Bean
Video Instructions
⏰ The video for this recipe will be started at 0:23.
Main Ingredients
- 1½ Cups Dried Black Beans
- 3 Cups Water
- ½ Cup Soy Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Corn Syrup
- 4 Tbsp Sugar
- ½ Tbsp Sesame Seeds
Directions
Wash 1½ cups of dried black beans several times and soak them in water for 30 minutes.
In a pan add the black beans and 3 cups of water.
Boil them on high for about 20 to 25 minutes: until the water is reduced in half.
Add ½ cup of soy sauce.
Then add 4 Tbsp of corn syrup and 4 Tbsp of sugar depending on your tastes. You can skip the corn syrup and use sugar or honey instead.
Reduce the temperature to medium-high, and cook them for 20 to 25 minutes: until the liquid is almost gone. Watch carefully not to burn them.
Sprinkle ½ Tbsp of sesame seeds on them, and cook them for 5 more minutes on low. Turn off the heat.
My husband likes this side dish. 🙂 I hope you will like it too. Thanks!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
i have never had this before! i might try this and let you know if i like it. I’m sure i will though… 🙂
nice choice of dishes and i like the korean paper underneath. 🙂 miss you! 😉
hi farleen,
oooooooooo !!! haha.. cute…
To be honest, this is one side-dish I don’t like… sh~~~ My mom tried to feed me this when I was little… I didn’t want to eat… It’s still not my type of food. lol… but my husband loves it… so I will see if farleen likes it. Oh.. you nocited the Korean paper..hehe I like that too. thanks 🙂
hi, i had done a soy bean side dish. so, i am really for black bean’s. thanks for your recipe. good to try s’thing new 😉
hi layping
Oh.. so this dish is new to you ??? haha.. good.. try it someday. 🙂
Hi Aeri,
I’m making it right now. I’m sure it will be great like all of you other dishes! My daughter loves this dish.
Did you have your baby?
Thanks as always!
Hi Jennifer,
Oh, you already tried this one??? hehe..I hope your daughter likes this recipe too. Thanks !!! Oh.. baby?? not yet.. It will be November 17th.. 🙂
Aeri! I actually like to eat this with jjuk. One question though. Do you rinse the beans after you soak them and use fresh clean water to boil them in?
Hi JT,
Oh.. since you already washed the beans before you soak them water, just drain out the water and get fresh water to boil them. 🙂 Thanks !!!
Oh man, kongjaban is my favorite banchan, but my mom never makes it for me. Now I can make it for myself! Thanks Aeri!
Hi Jessica,
haha… you like kongjaban ??? My husband likes it…but not me.. oops..hehe Yes, now you can make it for yourself. I hope you like this recipe. thanks 🙂
Hi Aeri!! Thank you so much for your wonderful site, I am soooo glad I came across it. I am visiting my korean market today to buy the ingredients. I plan to make a few of the side dishes you have posted here to begin my journey of learning to make korean food. I have a question for you – do you use dry uncooked black beans? I have some canned black beans at home, and I believe those usually come cooked already. Does this change how long I cook the beans?
hi s_bunny,
Nice to meet you !!! 🙂
yes, I used dry uncooked black beans… actually my husband suggested me to try black beans from can as you mentioned..I didn’t try it yet.. so can’t tell the result..but I might try that way too someday. but clear thing is..in Korea..we use dried black bean..not from can.. ^^
Hi Aeri! It has been a long time since I’ve visited your website and I’m glad to see you are still updating it with new recipes. I’ve seen Koreans eat this dish before but have always wondered what it was. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I am visiting Seoul in December and can’t wait to try out all the food!!
Hi crzycpl,
Happy to see you again~~ wow you will visit seoul in December ??? oh… please take me with you…. hehe joke. I hope you have wonderful time and try lots of delicious Korean food. I envy you..:) thanks
finally, i made this today. it was a sure winner with my hubby and children. as for me, i’m not so fond of beans but i must say this is delicious. please post more side dishes! i like your recipes so much 😉
Hi layping,
Our taste must be similar.. I’m not big fan of bean either. yes..but I can eat this side-dish. 😉 hehe.. Assa.. so your family liked this too. I love your family…Tell them what I said for me.. Thanks 🙂
my pleasure, i will tell them that!! yeah, we have similar taste buds, hhaha
Hi layping,
How was your day? Mine was okay. Many people got a cold around here.. how about over there ?? Take care !!!
Hi aeri thank you for the recipe this may sound stupid but do you eat this with chopsticks or a spoon?
thank you for all your dedication!
Hi tjenelle,
haha.. your question is not stupid..but cute.. my husband gave you an answer.. he said.. greedy person eats it with spoon..and patience person eats it with chopstick. lol My answer is… you can eat it with whatever you feel comfortable to eat. It’s kind of salty side-dish..so you might want.. one or two pieces for your spoonful of rice..so maybe chopstick is more logical ?? hehe thanks for cute question.
p.s Aha, if you wondered about Korean table manner for eating.. I can say.. we use spoon for rice and soup.. or some broth from side-dish…. and chopsticks for noodles or side-dishes. hehe thanks !!
Oh my gosh, i missed everything! Sister, whenever i go into a korean restaurant, i crave for this all the time, it’s was awesome , i love it!! SO DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing, but i can’t get the bean here…><
Hi chuiyew,
Oh~~ you love this. ^^ aha… the price for Korean food in a Korean restaurant over there is expensive ??? Have a great week.
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I made these night although they turned out great they weren’t as crunch as the ones I bought from the korean market. Is there anyway to give them a cruncher texture?
hi shernel,
2 things you can do..
Reduce the time for soaking the beans in water… because the reason you soak the beans in water before you cook them is… to make the beans softer.
and.. increase the amount of corn syrup.. instead reduce the amount of sugar… corn syrup makes the bean texture harder.. ^^
Hi Aeri,
Thanks so much for sharing all of these awesome recipes! Your website is quickly becoming my #1 go-to site for Korean food references. Speaking of which, the black bean side dish is one of my favorite Korean side dishes. I’ve tried making it 3 times so far and am still fine-tuning it. One question that I have is, in the end when there’s residual liquid in the pot, do you store the beans soaked in the liquid or do you remove the liquid and then store the beans by themselves? I hope that makes sense.
Anyway, love your website (and videos!). I’m looking forward to more tasty stuff!
– Judith
hi Judith,
I keep all the beans and the liquid together.. the liquid helps keep the bean not too try..and gives flavor to the beans too.. so..^^
Thanks ~~~
Hi Aeri
I’ve tried this dish twice. I noticed that the bean becomes chewy when stored in the fridge.
The second attempt I decided to boil the beans longer. It was soft but becomes chewy after I refridgerate it. Is this normal?
I like this dish b’cos I didn’t know how to cook black beans before and it taste delicious. too.
hi ymase,
Yes, that’s normal. You got the right result..hehe thanks
Hi Aeri! I’m so glad I came across this recipe of yours! I ate this when I had a vacation in Korea n loved it! I even asked the restaurant if they could sell me some so I can bring hone but unfortunately they don’t sell it.
Anyway, I’ll be making this dish this weekend n I want to clarify sone things just so I’ll get it right.
1) Is the soy sauce used light soy sauce (more watery n less saltish) or dark soy sauce (saltier n thicker)?
2) Do you cover the pot when cooking it? Do I need to constantly stir the beans to prevent them from getting burned?
Sorry for asking so many questions. (´･_･`)
hi Jessica,
I’m very sorry for late reply. 😥
Korean soy sauce is a little different from Chinese soy sauce. (light and dark) so whatever you use, adjust the saltness with your taste with that soy sauce. I don’t cover the lid..and you can just stir sometimes.. 🙂 You didn’t ask many questions.. don’t feel sorry. I’m sorry again for my late reply. thanks
Hi Aeri
I lived in Korea yearsago and still cook Korean food almost every other week. So your receipes taste the most authentic. I need a recepie for Lotus root in Soy Sauce. Hope you can help.
hi Mary Ann,
Thanks for your comment. I will add your request in my list. thanks 🙂
Thanks for this Korean Foodie blog. I am really interested in Korean food and I felt like I hit the jackpot when I stumbled upon your site, heh.
I had some issues with this recipe, though. I soaked the black beans for half an hour and then I boiled on high for 20-25 minutes, with 3 cups of water as requested. However after just a few minutes, the water was mostly gone and I had to keep adding water.
I boiled until about 30 minutes.. and then added the other ingredients. The same thing happened.. Even on the medium, the water would disappear well before the beans were finished cooking.
I am so confused. 😳
hi Allison,
Oh.. I’m sorry to hear that you had some problem. Sometimes it seems like.. some beans have been dried longer than others.. that case it might take longer to soaked and cooked (to make them softer).. so if you try it again.. make sure your beans becomes not hard anymore.. (more than half cooked) ..by tasting one cooked bean.. before you add the seasoning ingredients..and finish cooking rest…you can also use the method..do cover the lid to boil the beans.. so you will lose the liquid slower.. thanks
🙄 The older the beans are, the longer it takes to get them soft 🙁 (cooking them, I mean) 🙄
Hi Aeri, I am a huge fan of the look & feel of your website and even more so your recipes!! I just tried this one and my husband said it’s the best he’s ever had. It’s also my favorite banchan in Korean restaurants. I’m slowly trying to learn all my favorite Korean recipes! Thank you so much for these recipes…I’ve already bookmarked over a few dozen recipes. I’m really excited!!! ^_^
It looks so simple and easy but the truth is it’s meticulous to prepare. Anywa it’s worth it.
Thank you for this recipe Aerie, it is easy and very delicious!!!!!
Hi Aeri,
i cant find corn syrup here so may i replace it with honey??? Does it make a big change to it?
hi Anchan,
sometimes.. strong honey flavor can ruin the flavor for the dish.. so I will say..you can use sugar instead… (maybe some sugar and some honey..)
Aeri ㅠ.ㅠ I soaked the beans overnight, and the beans didn’t turn out well~~ You said to soak them for 30 minutes on purpose, right? ^^” Thanks so much for your recipes! I’m just learning how to cook and I’m learning a lot from you! <3 Love your daily Bible verses as well hehe~
hi aeri…just wondering is this dish sweet?
hi dayang,
Yes.. it has sweet flavor in it. thanks
Hi Aeri. Im korean but raised in the US since I was 2 so korean is my second language. Its so great to find a site with 전통 korean food but in english so I can understand them! Thanks alot and keep up the great work!
Hi Aeri,
Thank you so much for sharing your cooking knowledge with all of us! I have a question about the black beans. I understand that the black bean usually used in this dish is a black soybean called seoritae (서리태). It is difficult for me to find in rural USA. Can I substitute using an American black bean?
Thank you so much!
hi Olivia,
I think you can use American black beans ^^ thanks
Trying to lessen the sugar intake I only used honey. It was ok but definitely not as sweet. But the beans aren’t nice and shiny like your picture or my grandma’s. Where did I go wrong? Thanks btw with all of your yummy recipes that make it possible for us to remember what is was like being at home.
hi BananaQs,
It is hard to tell without seeing what you did.. maybe it’s the kind of bean you used ?? sorry for poor answer.. thanks
Hi Aeris,
I always use Black Beans for this dish, but I only have red beans today, can I use that too? How long should I soak it?
Thanks,
Dawn
hi Dawn,
I didn’t try red bean for this before..but I think why not.. hehe Try it. 🙂 Soaking time can be various.. just use the same time with this recipe and check the bean while you are cooking. Thanks.
Hi Aeri-ssi,
Are the beans you use regular dried black beans (the ones commonly used in Mexican cuisine) or black soybeans?
Also, is it possible to just put all the ingredients in a pressure cooker so that it cooks in less time?
Kamsahabnida!
hi Valeria,
Yes, it’s regular dried black beans.. 🙂 I didn’t try it with a pressure cooker before.. so I can not tell the result.. sorry. ^^:; I can just imagine that the sugar in the sauce can make it burn easily in high temperature… and you need to stir it sometimes.. so maybe it will not work well with a pressure cooker…but it’s just my guessing.. anyway.. Thanks for your comment.
Thank you. Recipe is easy to follow
hi Xuan,
Thanks for your comment. hehe ^^
All I had was some raw (cane) sugar. It gave a nice caramel flavour.
hi Mary,
That’s great. 🙂 thank you very much.
I was wondering if I only had sugar, regular white sugar, since the recipe calls for 4tbs of sugar would I just use 8tbs of sugar??
Thank you!
hi Giau,
You can start from 4 Tbsp of sugar..and add more for your taste. 🙂 thanks
Black Beans:
I went grocery shopping this weekend and I was looking for black beans to cook with my rice. However, I was surprised to find more than one variety of black bean. One is called (phonetically) “Seorittae” and the other was Black Beans, phonetically “Kam-man Kong”.
Do you know the difference between the two and which is used to cook with rice?
Thanks!
hi Mike,
^^ Your Korean phonetical words helped me to understand your question better. Thanks 🙂 You want Seorittae for this black bean side-dish. For cooked rice, actually you can use both of them. 🙂 thanks.
A friend gave me some dried crunchy black beans that can eat like nuts. Do you know how to make them or where to buy them.
Is the dried crunchy black beans as nutritious?
Thanks
hi Saradesu,
Aha, I know what she gave to you. (I might be wrong though..hehe) Get some dried black beans (You can get either at a Korean, Asian grocery store…and even at a normal American grocery stores sometimes..) Wash them good..and drain out the water…when the dried bean is still wet, sprinkle some salt over the beans and mix them gently. (The amount of salt is depends on your taste… but you do not want to put too much if you consider health..) Let it dry like that little bit..and on a heated pan or wok (without any oil).. fry the black beans on medium-low or medium heat for about 30 minutes. Make sure that you burn the beans on hight heat. Occasionally stir it. That’s it.. ^^ Black beans are very nutritious.. good for healthy hair too..