I always get excited when I see a bag of baby potatoes from our grocery haul waiting to be stored away, because it means that Umma [Mom] is going to prepare algamja jorim very soon.
These petite potatoes are boiled and then stir-fried and tossed with Umma’s salty-sweet sauce and finished with sesame seeds, green onion, and gochugaru. The potatoes become extremely creamy and offer irresistible poppable bites. We like yellow potatoes best here, but you can buy baby potatoes of any color that are 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. If you can only find larger baby potatoes, you can cut them into 1‑inch pieces.
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 12 ounces (340 grams) baby yellow potatoes, unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 green onion, sliced thin
- 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru
Add the potatoes and salt to a 14‑inch flat-bottomed wok or 12‑inch nonstick skillet and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe the wok dry with paper towels.
Heat the oil in the wok over medium heat until shimmering. Add the potatoes and cook, tossing occasionally, until nearly tender, about 8 minutes. Add the sauce, toss to coat the potatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes are fully tender and well seasoned, about 6 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sugar. Cook, tossing constantly, until the sauce becomes thick and stringy, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds, green onion, and gochugaru. Serve. (Refrigerate for up to 4 days.)
