Sweet Sigeumchi Muchim (Seasoned Spinach) Side Dish
A light banchan of sweet in-season spinach, briefly blanched and simply seasoned.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Naturally sweet in-season spinach is briefly blanched in boiling water to preserve its distinct texture and flavor. Kept clean and simple, it is seasoned minimally with tuna extract sauce and toasted sesame oil rather than heavy seasonings.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Namhae spinach300 g
- Coarse sea salt1 tbsp
Seasoning
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) (or 1/2 tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), a pinch of salt)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1/2 tbsp
- Soak the spinach for at least 5 minutes so any dirt or grit trapped between the stems can loosen, then wash thoroughly under running water several times.
- Remove any yellow leaves, and split thick root ends into 2 or 4 parts.
- Instead of tuna extract sauce, you can season it with 1/2 tbsp soup soy sauce and a pinch of salt.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Here is 300g of spinach.
Namhae spinach has hit the market with its reddish root ends and outstanding sweetness, so I bought a pack.
Trim and wash
Remove any yellow leaves, and split thick root ends into 2 or 4 parts.
Soak the spinach for at least 5 minutes so any dirt or grit trapped between the stems can loosen, then wash thoroughly under running water several times.
Blanch
Pour a generous amount of water (about 5 to 6 cups) into a pot, bring it to a boil, and add 1 tbsp coarse sea salt.
Add all the spinach and...
Quickly stir it around so it wilts (about 30 seconds).
Once it is tender all over, take it out immediately and rinse in cold water.
Once the heat is completely cooled down, squeeze out the excess water gently without mashing the spinach.
Season
Loosen the spinach into a bowl and season with 1 tbsp tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek).
Instead of tuna extract sauce, you can season it with 1/2 tbsp soup soy sauce and a pinch of salt.
Add a minimal amount of minced garlic, about 1 tsp, and toss gently to taste. If it tastes bland, adjust with salt...
Add 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil. For the toasted sesame seeds, if you grind half of the 1 tbsp in a mortar and add the other half as whole seeds, the seasoned spinach looks neat while tasting far nuttier.
Complete
Spinach tastes so good when the weather turns cold.
When it is hot, spinach is expensive and really lacks flavor, so I used bell peppers or garlic chives instead when making japchae.
Now that sweet, delicious spinach is here, I should make japchae with plenty of it.
Chewing the spinach thoroughly brings out its wonderful, deep sweetness.
I will have to think about more delicious ways to enjoy healthy, flavorful in-season spinach.
Ppunwife's tips
- Seasoning sigeumchi muchim lightly without heavy additions lets you fully appreciate its natural flavor.
- If you grind half of the 1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds in a mortar and keep the other half whole, the seasoned spinach looks clean and tastes much nuttier.
FAQ
What can I substitute if I do not have tuna extract sauce?
Instead of 1 tbsp tuna extract sauce, you can season with 1/2 tbsp soup soy sauce and a little salt.
How long should spinach be blanched in boiling water?
Add the spinach to salted boiling water, stir quickly so it wilts, and blanch for only about 30 seconds.
Is there a way to bring out more nutty flavor when adding toasted sesame seeds?
Grinding half of the prepared toasted sesame seeds and adding the rest whole keeps the namul neat while bringing out far more nutty aroma.
