This spicy Korean lentils recipe creates delicious hot Korean flavours with lentils. Want to make sweet Korean lentils? try this recipe!
This takes some of my favourite Korean flavours and infuses them into lentils, creating the most flavourful spicy lentils that goes perfectly with rice.
Recipe for Spicy Korean Lentils
I’m a big fan of lentils. I am also a big fan of Korean food as I was born in South Korea. Now Korean people don’t typically use lentils in cooking, as far as I’m aware. But that doesn’t mean we can’t put the two together and create something super flavourful and delicious!
To make our Korean lentils spicy, we are using gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) among other ingredients to create this super simple yet satisfying Korean-inspired dish. You can make this in bulk and of course, store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.
The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and egg-free!
Ingredients (about 4 servings)
- Lentils
- Onion, diced
- Garlic, minced
- Sauce:
- Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- Brown sugar
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Ginger powder
How To Make Korean Lentils
First, Dice onions and mince garlic.
In a medium frying pan, pot or wok, cook onions for a couple of minutes on medium-high heat with a little water or oil until they’ve softened slightly. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
In a medium-large bowl, combine all sauce ingredients (water last) and mix well. Gochujang is quite thick so whisk thoroughly with a fork.
Add in the sauce and lentils to the pan. Mix well and turn up the heat to a high to bring the mixture to a boil. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat to a medium-low and let it simmer for about 10-12 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed by the lentils.
Top with toasted sesame seeds or green onions (optional) and enjoy with some rice!
TIP: You can store this in the fridge or freezer for future enjoyment for 4-5 days in a tightly sealed container. A great recipe to make in bulk for simple/healthy/delicious meal prep!
Spicy Korean Lentils
Equipment
- Pan or Wok
- Knife and cutting board
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup Lentils dry (I used red split lentils)
- 1 tsp Oil
- 1/2 Onion diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced, 2-4 cloves
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tsp sesame seeds optional
- 2 stalks Green onion optional
Korean sauce
- 2 tbsp Gochujang Korean red pepper paste
- 1.5 tbsp Brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Roasted Sesame Oil
- 1/2 tsp Ginger to 1 tsp
Instructions
- To start making your sweet Korean lentils, heat oil on a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat and add diced onions and minced garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together the Korean sauce ingredients in a bowl: Gochujang, brown sugar, soy sauce, roasted sesame oil and ginger.
- Once onions and garlic have cooked, add in dry lentils (I use red split lentils), water and the Korean sauce. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to a medium-low and let it simmer, stirring every few minutes, until the lentils have cooked and absorbed all the sauce and water (around 10-12 minutes). Add small splashes of water if it gets too dry.
- Optionally, you can top your spicy Korean lentils with sesame seeds and green onions and serve on top of rice.
- Storage tip: Keep in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days to enjoy later.
Nutrition
NEED MORE VEGAN KOREAN RECIPE INSPO? CHECK THESE OUT:
This was delicious! I had it everyday for lunch last week and now I’m off to the supermarket for more lentils!
Delicious and super simple! I’m not big on spicy so only used 1 tbsp of Gochujang, and I added some mushrooms and spinach (instead of the broccoli) 🙂
So good and I can’t believe it’s so easy. Definitely going to be making this all the time.