Korean cuisine is known for its spicy, low-fat, heart-friendly dishes with numerous health benefits. Unfortunately for FODMAPers, it is also infamous for its high garlic content. My favorite Korean dish is Daegu Maeuntang, a spicy stew made with cod, tofu, vegetables and other seafoods. It is a low-calorie, high protein and hearty soup that’s eaten as a main course and frankly, the best cure for colds and hangovers. After two years of craving this comfort food, I came up with a Low FODMAP Korean Spicy Cod Stew, which, even without the key ingredients like garlic and Gochuchang (a chili paste usually made with fermented soy beans and corn syrup), totally hit the spot! This is definitely on the spicy side so modify as necessary or skip altogether if you are sensitive to spicy foods. Otherwise, put your hair in a ponytail, don a tank top and have a tissue ready (for wiping sweat and blowing your nose) and dig in!
Making Low FODMAP Korean Spicy Cod Stew
The authentic version calls for cooking up the broth with the cod fish head. Since I wanted to use frozen cod fillets instead, we can call this the lazy-fied method. The recipe calls for an 8 oz. bottle of clam juice to enhance the flavor. But if you happen to have the whole cod fish, even better; use the fish head and skip the clam juice.
Make sure to use a garlic free Gochugaru like Korean Red Chili Flakes, Gochugaru (1 Lb) By Tae-kyung, which is just chili flakes (many common chili powders like McCormick’s contain garlic powder) and a low FODMAP Garlic Infused Olive Oil.
You can modify the spiciness by increasing or decreasing the Gochugaru by a tablespoon. I love using fresh sliced red chili pepper in addition to the Gochugaru but you can skip this part. If you also have access to a chili paste without garlic or high fructose corn syrup, replace one tablespoon of Gochugaru with it. If you were already overzealous with the chili and find the finished product chokingly spicy, add another cup of water to lessen the heat. Remember though, the Korean/Chinese radish or Daikon, parsley, spinach and zucchini contain a lot of water and will dilute the spiciness significantly.
Finally, be sure to use firm or extra firm tofu. Silken tofu is considered high FODMAP.