Tuna Ssamjang - (Upgraded) Korean dipping sauce

Tuna Ssamjang. Ssamjang is a Korean dip made for veggies wraps. It provides salt, sweetness and deep umami flavor from doenjang (fermented soybeans). Now, we showed you how to make traditional ssamjang earlier this year. But today, I'll show you an upgraded version with tuna.

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This tuna version is not as salty and pungent as the traditional version. It's because we add water to the mixture and let it reduce like a stew. As a result, the sharper flavors are rounded off and you're left with a hearty, chunky topping. It's a wonderful condiment for any meal of the day.

Even this morning, I started my breakfast off with ssamjang. I pulled out the leftover boiled cabbage from the fridge and a bowl of rice. Wrapped the cabbage around the rice and placed in a few pieces of fluffy scrambled egg. Then topped it off with a small scoop of tuna ssamjang... tasted too good!

If you have children or friends who don't like to eat raw veggies, try making them this dip. It may change their minds 🙂

Bon Appetit ya'll and enjoy the weekend!

Tuna Ssamjang - Hearty, Filling, Healthy!

When you haven't been eating vegetables, who'll you going to call? 

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Easy

Servings: 3 people

Ingredients

Cabbage Wraps

• Whole cabbage - 6-7 outer leaves
• Water - ½ cup for steaming in microwave
• Cooked white rice -  1 cup

Fresh ingredients

• Tuna - 1 can 150 grams
• Spring onion - 1 piece forearm length
• Shiitake mushroom - 1 
• Onion - ½ a whole

Ssamjang seasoning

• Doenjang - 1 Tablespoon
• Gochujang - 1 Tablespoon
• Gochugaru - 1 Tablespoon
• Minced garlic -1 Tablespoon
• Water - 1 cup
• Honey - 1 Tablespoon
• Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
• Sesame seeds - few shakes

Instructions

• Take off a few layers of cabbage. Rinse it under running water so it can get some moisture on the leaves. Then place all of the leaves in a microwave friendly bowl. Pour in ½ cup of water into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes so it can steam. Microwave for 7-8 minutes. (Or alternatively, steam the leaves for 5-6 minutes)
• Cut spring onion into small slices. Dice mushroom and onion into small bite-sized cubes.
• Put frying pan on medium-low heat. Open up the tuna can. Squeeze out the oil into the frying pan. Once the oil is hot, place in the spring onions. Once the spring onions start to sizzle, place in the diced onions and mushrooms.
• Stir it around until the onions start to turn slightly translucent. Then place in doenjang (1T), gochujang (1T), gochugaru (1T), minced garlic (1T). Mix it into the veggies. 
• Then add in water (1 cup) into the mixture. Stir it around. Wait until it comes up to boil again. 
• Once it starts to boil, add-in the honey (1T) and the tuna. Mix it in. 
• Put it on low heat. Let it simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes. 
• After 5 minutes, there will still be some liquid - that's ok. Turn off heat and place in sesame oil (1T). 
• Place ssamjang into a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds (1T)
• To eat: Add rice onto a piece of steamed cabbage or lettuce. Then add some of the tuna ssamjang on top. Or alternatively, roll and cut it like sushi if you like (reference video).
• Bon Appetit! 

Notes

• Use the entire outer cabbage leaf  - don't break it into smaller piece (makes it easier to roll at the end)
• See video below for more details

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