Enhance Your Doenjang: Reduce Saltiness and Boost Flavor & Nutrition
Enhance Your Doenjang: Reduce Saltiness and Boost Flavor & Nutrition
A Special Recipe to Dilute Salty Doenjang
If you have aged doenjang that’s too salty to use, pay attention! We’ll show you a ‘doenjang diluting’ method that adds meju beans and bean water to reduce saltiness while enhancing its savory flavor and rich nutrition. This recipe will increase your doenjang’s versatility and benefit your health.
Main Ingredients- Aged Doenjang (Korean soybean paste) 1kg
- Meju Beans (fermented soybeans) 1kg
- Bean Water (used for boiling meju beans)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, rinse the 1kg of meju beans about two times. Carefully check for any impurities. Add enough water to generously cover the beans and soak them for at least 6 hours. Soaking overnight is even better.
Step 2
When meju beans are sufficiently soaked, their volume will increase significantly, and the beans will plump up. The bean skins contain beneficial nutrients, so do not remove them. The most important tip: When boiling the meju beans, never discard the soaking water (bean water). Use this water to boil the beans. This bean water will add depth to the doenjang’s flavor.
Step 3
Now, place the soaked meju beans in a large pot and boil them. As the beans cook, foam will rise and may overflow. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and watch carefully. It’s best not to leave the pot unattended while the beans are boiling.
Step 4
As you boil the meju beans, the water might reduce significantly. If the beans still seem undercooked, add a little water at a time and continue boiling. To check if the beans are fully cooked, take one out and press it lightly with your fingers; it should mash easily. This entire boiling process usually takes about 2 to 3 hours.
Step 5
Once the beans are cooked, separate the beans from the bean water. Strain the cooked meju beans using a sieve (colander) and place a bowl underneath to catch the draining bean water. As the beans cool, the bean water will slowly drip out through the sieve.
Step 6
With the cooked and cooled meju beans ready, prepare your salty aged doenjang to begin the dilution process.
Step 7
First, pound the cooked meju beans in a mortar and pestle. This step can be a bit strenuous, so ask a family member (like your husband or son!) to help. It can be a fun activity to do together. You don’t need to pound the beans too finely. Leaving some texture with visible bean pieces can actually enhance the doenjang’s flavor.
Step 8
If your primary goal is to reduce the doenjang’s saltiness, check its seasoning before mixing the pounded beans and doenjang. If it’s too salty, add a very small amount of soup soy sauce or salt to adjust the taste so it’s not overly salty. Be careful not to make it too bland. (If your doenjang’s seasoning is already appropriate, skip this step.)
Step 9
Finally, add the reserved bean water to the doenjang. This bean water will deepen the doenjang’s savory notes and help achieve the right consistency. After making the doenjang this way, don’t put it directly into the refrigerator. Let it ferment at room temperature for about a week, then store it in a kimchi refrigerator or a regular refrigerator.
Step 10
Through this doenjang dilution process, the initial 1kg of doenjang has doubled in volume! Your delicious and savory homemade doenjang is ready. Enjoy various dishes with your enhanced doenjang.
