Gamja Salad With Cucumber, Carrot and Red Onion
Published Sept. 30, 2020

- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 1Kirby cucumber, deseeded and cut into ¼-inch cubes
- ½medium red onion, very finely diced
- 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1medium carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 1large russet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1large egg
- ⅓cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann’s)
- 1teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon rice vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Step 1
In a small bowl, combine the cucumber, red onion and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside to sweat slightly.
- Step 2
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the carrot and cook until tender-crisp, 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
- Step 3
Add the cubed potato and egg to the boiling water. Cook the egg for 10 minutes and the potatoes until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. While the potato finishes cooking, run the hard-boiled egg under cold tap water. Peel the egg, finely chop it, then add it to a medium bowl. When the potato is cooked, transfer to the bowl with the egg and mash with a fork until uniform.
- Step 4
Add the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar to the mashed potato mixture and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Squeeze the salted cucumber and red onion with your hands (discarding any liquid), and fold them into the potato and egg mixture along with the cooked carrot.
- Step 5
To serve, scoop the potato salad onto a plate using an ice cream scoop, and eat warm or at room temperature. (To store for later, transfer to a resealable container and keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. This salad even tastes great cold, straight out of the fridge.)
Private Notes
Comments
Our local Korean place serves this and they leave the potato a bit chunky. I think that's a better match to the veggies.
This turned out to be the best Gamja salad ever! In Italy, there is a similar version called Insalata russa, Russian Salad, which often comes in part of appetizers in Liguria. Often okay-ish, sometimes unforgettable. This recipe hit the craving for both Korean Gamja Salad AND Italian Russian Salad. Wonderful.
Perfect, except I cheat and use pickles, not cucumber, and I like to leave the carrot crunchy. Leftovers, if you have any, turn into perfect Japanese-style potato croquettes (beat an egg, dip a rounded tablespoon of cold potato salad into it, then dredge in panko and fry until deep golden).
I found this more enjoyable the second day after it had chilled. I did substitute Duke's salad dressing. No problem with watery salad. I added Kosher salt and let it set in a bowl before transferring to a colander. I didn't get much water out so I added a little more Kosher salt and let it drain some more. Then I repeatedly squeezed them in paper towels. I think next time I'll leave the potatoes a little chunky.
This is very similar to a salad eaten in Russia. The potatoes are left a bit chunkier, and often olives are added. Either way, delicious.
Add cooked sweet peas (cooked from frozen), shredded chicken and a bit of shredded apple and you get the Russian new year salad