Category: Vegan

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Kongnamul Muchim (Korean Soybean Sprouts Banchan)

I was not a fan of Kongnamul Muchim (Korean Soybean Sprouts Banchan/Side Dish) when I was young. I hated beans of any and all kinds. I couldn’t stand the taste, texture, and the smell of them. In fact, I used to take the “Kong” – which directly translates to “bean” in Korean – off of the Kongnamul and eat only the sprout end. That was then. This is now.

Maybe your taste buds change as you get older. But there are so many things I hated as a kid that I actually love today; Kongnamul is one of them. You may think that Kongnamul and Sukju Namul are so similar in appearance that their taste may also be indistinguishable. So if I liked Sukju Namul, how could I not have liked Kongnamul? Au contraire. Kongnamul has a unique crunchy texture, nutty aroma and taste that is completely different from anything else.

Continue Reading Kongnamul Muchim . . .

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Shigumchi Namul (Korean Seasoned Spinach)

Shigumchi Namul or Sigumchi Namul is an integral part of many popular Korean dishes. Yes; you can most certainly serve it on its own as a respectable banchan (side dish). But Shigumchi Namul is much more than that. You can bring color, flavor, and nutrients to many main dishes simply by adding it as an ingredient. Bibimbap (mixed rice), Kimbap (rolled rice in laver), and Japchae (mixed or stir-fried cellophane noodles) are the first to come to mind.

Shigumchi Namul is a classic Korean side dish. But I prepare it a bit differently than my foremothers.  I water-sauté the spinach instead of boiling it.  When you boil the spinach, you have to wait for the water to boil; and after boiling, you have to squeeze out the water from the spinach.  I know. It sounds a bit counter-intuitive.  But that’s how it’s traditionally done.   The water-sauté method saves me a lot of time and energy by allowing me to dispense with those steps.  And the end product tastes just as delicious.

Continue Reading Shigumchi Namul . . .

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Sukju Namul Muchim (Korean Seasoned Mung Bean Sprouts)

All those side dishes you get when you eat at a Korean restaurant? Those dishes, along with the seemingly infinite number of other Korean side dishes, are collectively called banchan. And many of those banchan are used to make traditional bibimbap. I made No-Cook Vegan Bibimbap last week, but now that the temperature has gone down a little bit in NYC, I’m hankering for a traditional bibimbap. So this week, I will prepare some of the vegetable banchan required for the recipe. Sukju Namul (or Sookju Namul), Korean Seasoned Mung Bean Sprouts, is first on the list.

I love Sukju Namul. Whenever there was a traditional Korean function, my grandmother always made this. There are many ways to serve this dish. You can simply serve it with warm rice. You can add it as an ingredient in bibimbap. You can also put it in Moo Guk (Korean radish soup). In fact, when my grandmother used to make this for the traditional ancestral remembrance celebration (“Jaesa”), we used to eat it with Moo Guk on the day of the celebration, in bibimbap the next day, and as a side dish(banchan) the day after if we had any left. It’s a really versatile, simple, and healthy dish.

Continue Reading Sukju Namul Muchim . . .

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No-Cook Vegan Bibimbap


It’s been so sweltering hot in NYC lately. I just can’t bear to cook anything over a hot stove top. Hmm… I look in my fridge and see that I have carrots, leftover Oi Sangche, romaine, and avocado. And I always have my go-to Korean hot chili pepper paste, Gochujang, in the pantry. Same goes for cooked rice in my rice cooker – a reason you should really think about investing in one if you don’t have one. Perfect for a simple Bibimbap.

I’m not a fan of complicated recipes with a list of 20 ingredients I’ve never heard of or will never use again. It’s a fun read, but not really practical in execution. I try to make my cooking as simple as possible so that I am more likely to cook – instead of just thinking that I should. No-cook bibimbap is a perfect example. Not only is it easy, it’s healthy. AND I am using up ingredients that may go bad in a few days. Simple and economical, it’s my kind of dish.

Continue Reading No-Cook Vegan Bibimbap . . .

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Oi Sangche (Seasoned Sliced Cucumbers)

I grew up in a traditional Korean household where a “proper” Korean meal was served every night at dinner.  This consisted of a main dish, usually animal protein, and many side dishes, referred to as banchan.  One of my favorite banchan was Oi Sangche – seasoned sliced cucumbers.  Oi Sangche is also commonly referred to as Oi Moochim.  But my grandmother always called it Oi Sangche.  So Oi Sangche it is.

Things are quite different now.  There isn’t enough time in a day to prepare a complete spread. I’m lucky if I can make a main dish, let alone any type of banchan. But if I do afford myself the luxury of a side dish, Oi Sangche is among my favorites – especially on a hot summery day.  It is sweet, tangy, and spicy.  And, mmm…  So crunchy. Think instant cucumber pickle.

Continue Reading Oi Sangche . . .