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Chwinamul muchim
Seasoned aster greens
Chwinamul muchim (취나물무침): blanched aster greens seasoned with soup soy, garlic and sesame oil
Chwinamul, the wild aster that grows on the mountains of Gangwon and the slopes around Jirisan, is one of the most loved spring greens in Korea, sold by grandmothers at village markets in April and dried for the namul of Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar year. Blanched and squeezed, it is seasoned with soup soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil and has a deep, herbal, slightly bitter flavour that wakes up the rice. A portion is about 45 kcal. If you can't find chwinamul, use spinach or watercress, blanched for less time. The common mistake is not squeezing the greens well, so the seasoning slides off; press them firmly in your fist. Chef's tip: season with your fingertips, rubbing the dressing gently into the leaves; Korean cooks call it son-mat, the taste of the hands.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz fresh chwinamul (aster greens)tough stems trimmed
- ½ tsp saltfor the blanching water
- 1 ½ tsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)or light soy sauce
- 1 garlic cloveminced
- 1 spring onionfinely chopped
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seedslightly crushed
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring a large pan of water to the boil with ½ tsp salt. Add 9 oz fresh chwinamul (aster greens) and blanch for 1–2 minutes, until the stems are tender when pinched. (Spinach needs only 30 seconds.)
2 minStep 2: Drain and plunge into cold water, then squeeze out the water firmly in handfuls. Loosen the ball of greens and cut into 5 cm lengths.
Step 3: Add 1 ½ tsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), 1 garlic clove, 1 spring onion and 2 tsp toasted sesame oil and gently rub the seasoning in with your fingertips until every leaf is coated.
Step 4: Sprinkle with 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds and serve at room temperature. It keeps for 2 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 45 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chwinamul muchim take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of garlic clove?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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