Korean pan fried zucchini salad
This zucchini salad is my aunt’s recipe. One of my mother’s younger sisters lives in the country side in Korea. She cooks delicious Korean foods with simple ingredients.
When I visited my aunt a few years ago, she was busy cooking. She cooks many side dishes so easily in such a short time with fresh ingredients harvested a few steps away on her farm.
I try to help her but it seems like I’m in her way. She just asked me to pan fry the sliced zucchinis. I didn’t know what she will make with them. And then my aunt added some spices and sauce which every Korean pantry has. It was zucchini salad.
I knew how to make a Korean pan fried zucchini salad. Usually stir fry sliced zucchini with all spice and sauce in a pan at a time, but she added a little twist.
The result? I didn’t know that changing just one thing can make so much difference. After all, I follow the Korean zucchini salad recipe exactly same way as my aunt.
Add as much soy sauce or chilli powder, depending on how salty and spicy you like it. Here is her recipe.
Korean pan fried zucchini salad recipe

Ingredients
Small zucchini 2
Sea salt 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil 1 tsp
vegetable oil 2 Tbsp
Minced garlic 1/2 Tbsp
Light soy sauce 1 Tbsp
Chilli powder 1/2 Tbsp or fresh chilli 1~2 (option)
Chopped spring onion 1~2 Tbsp

Rinse the zucchinis and slice about 4~5 mm thick, place a bowl. Sprinkle sea salt and shake the bowl, set aside 5 minutes.
Heat a pan medium heat. Add about 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil into the pan. Make sure the oil is spread all the way through the pan.
Place the zucchini slices on the pan. Cook a couple minutes on both sides. Drizzle more oil if you need.
Place cooked zucchinis in a mixing bowl . Repeat rest of them.
In a small bowl, add light soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, chilli powder, chopped spring onion and mix well.
Add the seasoning mixture into fried zucchini bowl and mix well.
Serve with steamed rice or other main.