Sukju Namul (Seasoned Mung Bean Sprouts)

Here is another effortless Korean side dish. This time, it's made with mung bean sprouts (sukju namul). I used its full name here to distinguish them from soybean sprouts (kongnamul), but these sprouts are better known as simply bean sprouts - the same sprouts I used for nokdujeon and kimchi mandu. The cooking method and seasonings for this dish are very similar to its soybean counterpart. The most notable difference is that because mung bean sprouts don't actually have the bean parts, they take less time to cook. Also, they contain a much higher water content. Squeeze the cooked sprouts to remove the excess water before seasoning them, which will make the sprouts much crunchier. You can also make this dish spicy by adding a little bit of gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes). Either way, it will be a pleasant addition to your meal!

Ingredients:
1 pound sukju namul (mung bean sprouts)
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
salt (about 1 teaspoon) and pepper to taste

Rinse the bean sprouts twice in cold water. Boil 4 cups of water, in a medium size pot, along with a teaspoon of salt. Drop in the sprouts and cover. Blanch the sprouts until slightly softened, about 1 minute.





Drain quickly. When cool enough to handle, gently squeeze out the excess water.








Toss well with the remaining ingredients. Sample and add more salt to your taste if needed.