KANGNAMUL

KANGNAMUL

#SIAintheKitchen

My favourite part about going to Korean restaurants is the banchan, or side dishes, that come with every meal. Little nuggets of potatoes, various types of kimchi, and small salads like the one I’ve made today not only whets the appetite, but they’re also addicting on their own. When I visited Seoul back in 2013, there were spots that gave you unlimited amount of banchan. It was the greatest thing ever - I was in heaven. This dish takes me back to that time. Kangnamul, or Korean mung bean sprout salad, is probably one of the easiest side dishes you’ll ever make.

My friend Charlie had a BBQ this past summer and it had everything that dreams are made of - samgyeopsal, two kinds of hot pot, Korean short ribs, grilled ribeye, and tons of grilled vegetables. Charlie is a huge foodie so there was no way in hell I was missing this BBQ. Amongst all the tasty meats he grilled for us, he also made kangnamul. I was so impressed with how the dish came out that I had to make it myself.

Because this is a side dish, I made it just for me with some leftover sprouts. I used the type of mung bean sprouts that have the crunchy yellow base on the bottom which I see commonly in Korean cuisine. That, along with scallions, garlic, gochugaru, sesame oil, fish sauce and garnished with toasted sesame seeds. It’s such a refreshing salad and makes a great accompaniment to any type of grilled meat or perhaps even on top of some steamed white rice.

KANGNAMUL - serves 1

• 1 cup mung bean sprouts

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1/4 tsp gochugaru

• 1/8 tsp white pepper

• 1 scallion stalk, sliced

• sesame seeds, toasted

1. Blanche the mung beans in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and set aside.

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients with the bean sprouts and serve immediately, chilled. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.