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Ojingeo Twigim. When you visit a Pojang Macha (Korean Street Cart) - you'll see a bubbling tray of Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes), Soondae (Korean Blood Sausage) and stacks of Twigim (Korean-Style Tempura). Katie usually goes for Tteokbokki and I reach for the Soondae. Then we make a joint decision on Twigim! Typically, you can pick any 5 that you like. The most popular ones are Stuffed Chili Pepper (Gochu Twigim), Mixed Vegetable Hash (Yachae Twigim), Fried Shrimp (Saewoo Twigim) and Fried Squid (Ojingeo Twigim). For me, I always get a few Ojingeo Twigim! I love biting into the crunchy batter, then chewing on the soft and savory squid. Today, I'll give you the exact recipe for that authentic street-cart flavor!

This recipe works best with Korean Frying Mix. It's a combination of flour, rice powder, starch powder, salt and a 0few other seasoning. If you have a Korean mart nearby - go grab a bag for this recipe. If you don't, you can still make it with a substitute frying mix. To make, use this ratio: All Purpose Flour (1 Cup), Potato or Corn Starch (2 Tablespoons), Baking Soda (1 teaspoon).

A few cooking notes:

In the video, I forgot to mention to season the raw squid pieces with a few shakes of salt & pepper. So don't forget - it's written below in the recipe.
Make sure that no ice cubes from the wet batter drops into the oil - this is very dangerous! Also double-check that your chopstick or any cooking utensil does not have any residual water left on it before frying.
If you're making a large batch, fry them once until they are a golden color. When you're ready to serve dinner, fry them again until they turn a golden-brown color. This double-fry technique makes for a crispier skin.
Make sure to scoop out the leftover tempura flakes in between batches - or else the burnt pieces will cling onto newer pieces.

Enjoy ya'll! This is one of my childhood favorites - and I'm so happy to share with you 🙂

Dan-yul out 🕺

Ojingeo Twigim (Fried Squid)

5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

1-2 Fresh Squid
Few shakes Salt
Few shakes of Black Pepper
Few scoops of Korean Frying Mix (Twigim-Garu)

Wet Batter

1 cup Korean Frying Mix
1 cup Cold Water
2-3 Ice Cubes

Soy Sauce Dipping Sauce

4 teaspoons Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Water
Handful of Chopped Onion

Instructions

Prep ingredients

Clean the squid. Give it a thorough wash. Then pat the squid dry with a paper towel. Pull the skin off the tube part of the squid. Then cut it into long strips (reference video). Then cut the tentacles as well.
Place all the pieces in a plastic bag. Season with a few pinches of salt and black pepper.
Then add a good amount of Korean Frying Mix. Close the bag and shake it up well. The pieces will be evenly coated.

Make Wet Batter

Mix Frying mix (1 cup) and Water (1 cup). Add in a few ice cubes.

Fry It Up

Take out a pot or wok. Fill with a layer of vegetable oil. Then place on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough (reference video), grab a piece of the battered squid and dip it into the wet batter. Then carefully place it into the oil. Fry up only a handful at a time - don't try to cook everything at once. Fry until light golden brown. Then strain-out the leftover tempura flakes. And repeat!
Make a dipping sauce by combining: Soy Sauce (4 teaspoons), Water (2 teaspoons) and a handful of chopped onion.

Tried this recipe?Tag us at @efutureneighbor with your dish!