Kongjaban (콩자반, Sweet Soy-Braised Black Beans)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-quart heavy saucepan with lid
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
• •Measuring cups and spoons

Instructions

1. 1

   Pick and soak

   Spread the beans out and remove any cracked beans, shriveled beans, or small stones. Rinse until the water runs mostly clear, then soak in 4 cups cold water for 8 to 12 hours. Refrigerate the bowl if your kitchen is warm. A soaked bean should be swollen and should split cleanly when bitten; this lets the center cook before the skin breaks.

   Small black soybeans can soften after 6 hours, but large seoritae need the full overnight soak. Old beans may need longer, and some never soften properly. Buy from a Korean market with good turnover.
2. 2

   Cook plain first

   Drain the soaked beans and put them in a 2-quart heavy saucepan with 2 1/2 cups fresh water. Bring to a boil, skim off the grey foam, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered for 35 to 45 minutes. Do not add soy sauce yet. Salt tightens bean skins, and if the center is still hard when the soy goes in, the pot will make you wait for it.

   Keep the water just above the beans. If the pot looks dry before the beans are tender, add hot water 1/4 cup at a time. Cold water shocks the simmer down and slows the cooking.
3. 3

   Add soy and sugar

   When a bean gives under your teeth but still holds its shape, add the soy sauce and sugar. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring gently every few minutes, until the liquid reduces to about 1/2 cup. Keep the simmer low. Hard boiling splits the skins and turns the glaze cloudy.

4. 4

   Set the glaze

   Stir in the rice syrup and simmer 6 to 8 minutes more, stirring more often now. The beans should look black-brown and glossy, with only 2 to 3 tablespoons of thick sauce left at the bottom. Add the syrup late because it catches easily and sweetens the outside before the soy has seasoned the bean through.

5. 5

   Rest and finish

   Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Let the beans rest in the pot for 20 minutes before serving; the glaze tightens as it cools and clings better. Taste one bean. If it is too salty, add 2 tablespoons hot water and simmer 2 minutes. If it is too mild, add 1 teaspoon soy sauce and stir through while warm.

6. 6

   Store for banchan

   Serve at room temperature beside rice, not refrigerator-cold, because the glaze stiffens when chilled. Cool completely before packing into a clean lidded container. Refrigerate up to 5 days, spooning a little of the glaze over the beans each time you serve them.

Chef Tips

• •Korean black soybeans are not the same as canned black beans. Canned beans are already salted and soft, so they cannot take the long braise that gives kongjaban its chew.
• •The corner you can cut is the vessel, not the order. For a schedule shortcut, pressure-cook soaked beans in plain water for 5 minutes at high pressure, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Finish the soy, sugar, and syrup in an open saucepan so you can watch the glaze.
• •Jocheong (rice syrup) gives the roundest gloss. Mulyeot or oligodang work in a modern kitchen. Honey tastes like honey, so use it only if you accept that the beans will no longer taste as cleanly of soy and bean.
• •If the beans are chalky in the center before seasoning, keep simmering in plain water. If they are already seasoned and still firm, add 1/4 cup hot water and simmer gently until the bite gives.

Advance Preparation

• •Soak the beans the night before. In warm weather, soak them in the refrigerator so they do not sour before morning.
• •Finished kongjaban keeps well refrigerated for 5 days. The flavor deepens after one day, which is why it belongs in a meal-prep banchan box.
• •Do not freeze it if you want the proper chew. Freezing softens the skins and makes the glaze watery when thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 65g)