Korean Salads...life beyond Pajeon is as easy!!

Sukju Namul (Korean Mung Bean Sprout Salad)...Going on vacation next week so of course trying to eat healthy this week...as if...but hey, at least am trying...right?... OK, so one of my favorite cuisines is Korean...I had it for the first time about 8 years back in the U.S. and was hooked...of course not so easy to find at that time here so learnt a few basic dishes and when I say basic I mean really basic because even the ingredients were hard to come by…now, of course it is a completely different story altogether…from supermarkets to stand alone dedicated stores to one of the finest Korean restaurant…all in the neighborhood J...these are the first two dishes that a Korean colleague of mine had taught me...of course the cleaning of both the sprouts and spinach takes time(read makes you want to pull your hair out) but after that it is a breeze…both of these can be eaten as salads or as sides.

Sukju Namul (Korean Mung Bean Sprout Salad)

Ingredients:

• Mung Bean sprouts, washed, sorted and roots removed
• Spring/Green Onion, chopped
• Sesame seeds, lightly roasted

Dressing:

• Light soy sauce, 1 tsp
• Sesame oil, 1 tsp
• Garlic clove, minced, 1
• Sugar, a pinch

Instructions:

Blanch bean sprouts in boiling water for no more than 30 seconds –they will become translucent. Immediately rinse with cold water and drain well.

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and sugar in a small bowl. 

Mix the spring onions with the sprouts, Pour the dressing over the sprouts. Mix well and serve topped with sesame seeds

I have it at room temperature when eating with rice and chilled, when eating as a salad.

I also add a few red chili flakes at times.

Notes:

• The dressing amount is given for proportion and of course you can adjust according to taste and quantity.

Shigumchi Namul (Korean Spinach Salad)

(recipe moved here)