Hobak Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Zucchini)

Hobak Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Zucchini) is a very simple Korean stir-fried zucchini side dish that’s really yummy in a feel-good kind of way. It’s made with just a few ingredients but highlights the delicate flavor of the Korean summer squash perfectly – bringing out the wonderful natural sweetness of the courgette.

Hobak Bokkeum (호박 볶음) – also sometimes called Hobak Saewoojeot Bokkeum 호박 새우젓 볶음 – is among my absolute top 3 favorite Korean squash recipes to make – along with Hobak Jeon and Hobak Buchimgae.

But I know.. it took me too long to post this recipe..It’s because I never perfected it – the way I remember eating them as a kid. This humble dish is one of those dishes that reminds me of the times of visiting my dad’s farm and being treated to very simple but absolutely scrumptious meals cooked by the caretaker’s wife.

When she served the meal to us – with her rough hands showing the wear and tear of working hard all day on the farm – she would always apologize to us –

“반찬이 너무 없어서 어쪄죠…. 에구..그리고 다 푸성귀 뿐이네요.” meaning, so sorry that there are so few banchan and that it’s all vegetables (푸성귀 puseong gwi)… Me being a foodie and a meat lover, I was secretly worried that there wouldn’t be yummy things to eat…lol

But to my surprise, everything tasted really delicious. I always enjoyed everything that she cooked. Now when I think back, it probably was a combination of freshly picked vegetables + awesome seasoning jangs (gochujang, doenjang, ganjang) that she fermented for months from scratch. Oh how I miss having these Sigol Bap 시골 밥.. (sigol means countryside)… 😍

So I have not made this dish in years because I was not happy with the results the first few times and I have to admit, I also never spent the time to actually perfect it.

Curiously sweet (not the kind you get from adding sugar), slightly still crunchy and wonderfully full of umami savory flavor that comes from saewoojeot with a hint of garlic in the background. That’s the flavor I wanted.

But now I have done it!! 🎉 And I’m now happy to share it with you all.

Chef’s Tips for making best Hobak Bokkeum

• Use Korean Sqaush/Aehobak if you can. Korean summer squash is more tender, juicy and sweeter than regular green zucchini and that is what makes this dish extra delicious. If you can’t find that, young Tatuma Squash or something similar is a good substitute. Also, you may add a hint of sugar if your zucchini doesn’t have any sweetness after cooked.
• Saewoojeot (fermented mini shrimps) – is the core seasoning ingredient in this dish but if you can’t find it, you can substitute Guk Ganjang + sea salt or a splash of common fish sauce + sea salt should work.
• Use Perilla Oil if you can but Sesame Oil will work just fine
• Optionally, add sliced fresh red chili or Silgochu 실고추 (dried red pepper threads) or even some red chili pepper powder and make it SPICY. In my case, I didn’t have and fresh red chili so I just added some silgochu. Add sliced onions for extra sweet flavor.
• For best green color, cool the stir-fried zucchini quickly by spreading it out on a plate. If your squash has a lot of seeds, you can also just hollow out the center and cook the flesh part only.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm or at room temperature as a side dish to any meal. My favorite way is to highlight this dish by having it with rice and maybe some soup.
• Add Hobak Bokkeum to Bibimbap!

BTW, I know summer is now gone but next summer, if you want to grow your own squash, you can read about my 9 Korean vegetables to grow in spring and plant some next spring. Here’s a picture from my garden with my squash growing and growing..

Shall we get started?!

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cut squash/zucchini into 0.25 inch/6 mm thick slices which is a pretty thick slice. Don’t cut too thin. Then cut into equal sizes. If using Korean round Aehobak like this one, cut into quarters like below. If using common long zucchini, cut into 1/2 circle.
2. Chop Saewoojeot (fermented shrimps) until it looks like this. When scooping out Saewoojeot from the jar, try to take out the shrimps but not the brine. Too much of the additional brine will make it too salty. Saewoojeot is what really makes the unique flavor of Hobak Bokkeum but if you don’t have it, substitute good sea salt or gukanjang.
3. In a bowl, add cut squash and chopped saewoojeot and mix gently. – with your hands or a spoon. Try not to damage the squash as you mix. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Turning over 2-3 times during.
4. While you wait, chop fresh garlic and green onions. Optionally, you can also add some thin slices of fresh red chili peppers. Measure water and have it ready.
5. Saute chopping garlic In a frying pan (medium-high heat) in Perilla OR Sesame oil. Saute until it starts to bubble but not browned (less than 1 minute).
6. Stir-fry squash in the same frying pan (medium-high but reduce to medium heat if it’s cooking too quickly) from above by pouring out everything from the bowl with the squash from 3 – including any liquid that has come from the squash. Also, Add water (about 1-2 Tbs)
7. Stir-fry for 3~4 minutes between medium-high to medium heat (longer if you are cooking a larger amount than in my basic recipe) until zucchini is lightly cooked and most of the liquid has reduced. Don’t overcook – cook until it’s still slightly crunchy but soft. Add a little more water if you feel you need to cook longer but there’s no more liquid. You don’t want this dish to be dry.
8. Right before turning the heat off, add chopped green onions. And optionally, add thin slices of fresh red chili pepper or dried shredded red pepper threads (Silgochu 실고추).
9. Transfer cooked Hobak Bokkeum onto a large plate or tray and spread it out so it cools quickly. Sprinkle sesame seeds. Cooling the bokkeum quickly helps to keep it’s vibrant green color.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature as a side dish. I actually love just having this and warm rice only – when it’s freshly made. YUM!

Enjoy and take care!

XOXO ❤️

JinJoo