Dakgalbi (Korean chicken stir-fry)

Step 1

To make the dakgalbi sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside 1 tablespoon of sauce if you are making fried rice at the end.

Step 2

Soak rice cakes in water for 10 minutes and drain.

Step 3

Drizzle oil in a cast iron skillet, arrange the chicken, vegetables, sweet potato wedges, rice cakes, and 1/2 the amount of perilla leaves. Drizzle the sauce over and bring the skillet over med-high heat.

Step 4

When you hear a loud sizzle, start tossing everything to combine. Stir-fry for about 6-7 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice cakes and sweet potatoes are tender. If the food sticks too much, add 2 tablespoons of water (or more) to loosen the sauce and help everything cook evenly.

Step 5

Add the remaining perilla leaves toward the end of stir-frying. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately when it is hot.

Step 6

After finishing dakgalbi, turn the heat back to medium and drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into the skillet. Add the cooked rice and reserved dakgalbi sauce, then start stir-frying to coat the rice with the sauce residue remaining in the skillet.

Step 7

Press the rice gently to the bottom of the skillet and let it crisp up for 2 minutes over medium heat.

Step 8

When the rice sticks to the skillet and becomes golden and crispy, drizzle sesame oil over the top and sprinkle crumbled seaweed and toasted sesame seeds. Toss everything together until well combined. Serve the dakgalbi fried rice immediately while it's still hot and crispy.