Fusion Spicy Bean Paste 炒辣豆酱

How did this Fusion Spicy Bean Paste 炒辣豆酱 come about? Like I'll be explaining in my next post, this unique concoction was created because I realised that I ran out of the essential Gochujang when I was about to cook the Korean Spicy Chicken Stew (Dakdoritang). I needed a paste to cook the stew. It would not make economical sense for me to drive a distance to buy a bottle and I was running out of time. Furthermore, there's no way for me to make my own Gochujang as the authentic Gochujang has to undergo a fermenting process over a period of time. With much deliberation, I thought it would be easier to troubleshoot with whatever ingredients I had on hand. 

Having dug through my refrigerator and pantry, I found the Korean bean paste. I knew I had mostly South East Asian or Chinese spices at home. Since the dish was meant to be spicy, I thought I could give the Korean bean paste a local twist by combining it with local finds such as sambal shrimps and chili powder or paprika. As I'd like to have a nutty feel in this comfort dish, crushed nuts were included.

Ingredients (enough for a jam sized jar) :

• 3-4 tbsp  of Koren bean paste
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 3 tbsp crispy sambal shrimps
• 2-3 tbsp chili powder or paprika powder (subject to how spicy you want your paste to be)
• 2-3 tbsp rice wine
• 2 tbsp crushed nuts
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon) 

Method :

1. Combine all ingredients (except cooking oil) into a bowl and blend well with chopsticks.
2. Heat pot/saucepan with cooking oil. 
3. At low heat, fold in the bean paste and spice mix.
4. Give mixture a quick stir fry. Take note not to burn the paste.
5. Turn off heat when paste thickens and emits aroma. 
6. Allow paste to cool down completely before storage into sterilised jars. 

In comparison to authentic Gochujang, my Fusion Spicy Bean Paste 炒辣豆酱粉 was drier and had a more coarse texture due to the inclusion of crushed nuts. The bean paste fragrance was still prevalent and nobody would doubt it being a spicy bean paste. Maybe this time it deviated just a little with some local twists.