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Shortcut Gochujang, Korean Chili Paste

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 12 tablespoons
Author Margaret Bose Johnson

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons fine gochugaru, Korean powdered hot red chili pepper (Goun Gochukaru 고운 고추가루)
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika or 1 additional tablespoon gochugaru
  • ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) gluten-free white miso paste
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated on a microplane or other grater
  • ¼ cup (60ml) water, plus more if desired

Instructions

  • Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and stir together with a whisk to make a smooth paste.
  • If you prefer a thinner paste, add a bit more water until it’s thinned to your liking. Scrape into a small glass jar with a lid.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months and in the freezer for up to a year.
  • Makes ¾ cup (180ml).

Notes

If you can’t get gochugaru, then you could try substituting with cayenne pepper, but use less of it, to taste, and add more sweet paprika plus an additional clove of garlic to increase the flavour.
Gochugaru (Korean ground chili pepper) comes in fine powder or coarse flakes. The flakes are used for making kimchi. Make sure to get the finely ground gochugaru powder for making gochujang paste. If you only have the coarse variety, you could try grinding it in a coffee grinder or blender, but make sure not to inhale the dust! (Cover the blender with a towel and let the dust settle before emptying the blender.) All I could get in the Asian grocery store was a 1 kilogram bag of gochugaru, but it was half the price of a lesser amount of gochugaru ordered online – I recommend sharing a bag with a friend.
Make sure your miso paste is gluten free – there are many kinds made without wheat or barley, using chickpeas, brown rice, or soy.