Spicy Squid (Ojinguh Bokkeum)

I've never really cooked fresh squid my entire life. Have no idea how to clean 'em or tell when they're cooked. Since mom had some squid in the fridge she planned to cook for dinner, i offered to cook it for her so i can give it a try and partly because i wanted to try a different way of cooking it. Usually my mom would cook "adobong pusit" which is a combination of soy sauce and vinegar. Typically cooked like the normal pork or chicken adobo but with the ink. I though i'd spare our lips from black stains for once and have something more spicy.

What you'll need:

2 tablespoon sesame oil
3 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili flakes (you can add more if you want more heat)
1 teaspoon Korean chili bean paste (the one in a green packaging)
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced into sticks
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2-3 stalks of leeks, each sliced into 4 pieces
5-6 pieces of squid (medium size), sliced and drained
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (not a necessity but may come handy if the dish turns a little watery)

Make the chili sauce by mixing together the soy sauce, brown sugar and chili flakes in a small bowl. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a pan and sautee carrots, onions, green bell peppers and leeks. Stir fry for about 1 minute then move them to the side of the pan. Add the remaining sesame oil and the squid. Pour in the chili sauce and stir fry until sauce covers all the ingredients. If the dish starts to get watery, add the cornstarch otherwise let it simmer for about 5-8 minutes. After letting it simmer add the Korean chili bean paste and mix everything well. Let it sit for another 4-5 minutes and after that you're done. Serve with rice.

Enjoy!