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Sesame-Soy Spinach
The Korean name for this dish is sigeumchi namul. It’s a classic banchan (side dish); sigeumchi means spinach and namul is a category of cooked and seasoned vegetable dishes. The spinach is blanched, drained and rinsed under cold water to stop the cooking before it is tossed with a flavorful dressing made with toasted and ground sesame seeds. Like most other namul, the spinach is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t use baby spinach, which is too delicate. Mature spinach sold in bunches is the type to us. Be sure to wash and drain the spinach to remove any sand or grit, but there’s no need to dry it since it will be blanched.
25 minutes
Ingredients
-
2½
tablespoons sesame seeds
-
2
tablespoons soy sauce, plus more if needed
Directions
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01In a large pot over medium-high, bring 6 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, in an 8-inch skillet over medium, toast the sesame seeds, stirring often, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool completely. In an electric spice grinder or in a mortar with a pestle, coarsely grind 2 tablespoons of the seeds; reserve the remainder for garnish. Transfer the ground seeds to a medium bowl, then stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic; set aside.
Might I recommend sprinkling a bit of gochugaru on top? So good.