Most of us know the beloved Coco Ichibanya. In 2023 I ordered garlic with my curry and had an epiphany. This stuff elevated the curry so much, I went on a quest to find a way to make it at home.
I didn't find a recipe online and the only thing I could find was an old Reddit thread in this sub of someone asking for the recipe to no avail.
Then I took to ChatGPT to find me the recipe and it delivered. I tried it, made some adjustments and ended up with a pretty close if not almost identical approximation.
For all the garlic lovers, here's the recipe:
• 8 garlic bulbs
• rapeseed oil
• 4 tsp chili oil
• 4 tsp gochujang
• 4 tbsp sesame oil
• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp black Chinese vinegar (optional if sweetness needs to be balanced out)
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Peel the garlic cloves.
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Heat the cooking oil in a pot (just enough so it covers the cloves) to frying temperature.
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Fry the garlic on medium to high heat for 30 seconds, then continue on low to medium until the garlic is soft (test with a fork or skewer). Drain the garlic, keep the oil, as it's killer garlic oil.
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Mix chili oil, gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a pan or pot (I used a wok) and add vinegar if necessary. Adjust flavor to your liking (more salt? Add soy sauce! More sweetness? Add sugar! Too sweet? Add vinegar and maybe soy sauce!).
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When the sauce is heated, add the garlic and let it simmer until the sauce thickens.
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Put in a jar and store in fridge.
You can probably experiment a bit with the right amount of sugar.
Enjoy!
by knightriderin