Dak Galbi (닭 갈비)

Dinner tonight was delicious: spicy without being painful, and a delicious combination of two of our favorite dishes. The dish was dak galbi/닭 갈비, which literally means "chicken ribs". I have no idea how the dish got this name, because there are no chicken ribs to be seen. It must be something like those nebulous "chicken fingers." Actually, it turns out the origin of the name comes from the fact that it was as popular as galbi, but cheap - commoner's galbi!

Dak Galbi
yields about 7 or 8 servings

3 chicken breasts
1 Tbs 고추가루 (Korean red pepper powder)
1/4 cup 고추장 (Korean red pepper paste)
1 tsp curry powder
2 Tbs minced garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup rice wine
1 tsp fresh ginger
1 small head of cabbage, sliced
(preferably a baby napa cabbage, but American cabbages are fine, too)
2 onions, sliced
1 to 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
1 package of rice cakes à la ddeokbokki (optional, but oh-so-good)
2 green peppers, sliced
3/4 cups water
olive oil
sesame oil

1. Cube the chicken. Set aside.
2. Combine ingredients from red pepper powder to the fresh ginger. Mix well, then spoon some onto the chicken and allow the chicken to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. Heat oils in a large pot over med-high heat, then add everything. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, the rice cakes are soft, and the vegetables are at your preferred doneness. Serve over rice.

*Feel free to add more spice, up to double the amount shown here.
**The curry powder does add something to the dish, but I added too much (1 Tbs). I have adjusted this recipe accordingly.
***You can also add sesame leaves (깻잎), sliced thinly. JunkMale doesn't like these and they're hard to find outside of Asian markets. But they have a delightful bite to them, very herby.
****You might as well add other veggies in there, too. Carrots would be nice, I think.