This Korean dried zucchini side dish features rehydrated zucchini slices sautéed with garlic and sesame oil. It’s a simple banchan that pairs beautifully with steamed rice or as a topping for bibimbap.
Dried zucchini has a concentrated, slightly sweet flavor and a pleasant chewy texture that remains tender when rehydrated. This preparation is naturally vegan and makes an excellent summer side dish when zucchini is abundant.
In Korea, the summer squash commonly used is called aehobak. It’s a bit sweeter than the typical supermarket zucchini, with tender flesh and thin skin, which works wonderfully for drying.
Drying Zucchini
To dry zucchini at home, slice it about 1/4 inch thick and lay the slices in a sunny, well-ventilated spot to air dry. Because zucchini contains a lot of water, the slices will shrink and become roughly half as thick. If you don’t want to dry your own, many Korean grocery stores sell dried zucchini in the dry goods aisle.
The photo below shows dried slices on the left and rehydrated slices on the right after soaking and gently squeezing to remove excess water.
Making the Korean Dried Zucchini Side Dish
Begin by rehydrating one cup of dried zucchini slices in clean water for about 45 minutes, or until they are soft and pliable. Drain and gently squeeze out excess water, then cut the slices into bite-sized pieces.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a teaspoon of sesame oil. Sauté the rehydrated zucchini with a teaspoon of minced garlic and half a stalk of chopped scallion for 3–4 minutes. Season with salt to taste. The goal is a chewy yet tender texture; if you prefer softer zucchini, add a teaspoon of water and cook another 1–2 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature alongside steamed rice as a banchan, or add it to bibimbap for extra texture and flavor. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
I hope you enjoy this easy, flavorful dried zucchini recipe.
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Korean Dried Zucchini Side Dish
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Ingredients
- 1 cup dried zucchini slices, found in most Korean grocery stores; do not use freeze dried zucchini
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ½ stalk scallion, chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the dried zucchini slices in clean water for 45 minutes. Drain and gently squeeze to remove excess water. The slices should be soft and pliable.
- Cut the rehydrated zucchini into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the sesame oil. Sauté the zucchini with minced garlic and chopped scallion for 3–4 minutes. Season with salt. If you want a softer texture, add 1 teaspoon of water and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes.
- Serve as a Korean side dish (banchan) with steamed rice or use as a topping for bibimbap. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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