Korean Amaranth Greens Pickles

Quick answer

Total time: 45 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Bireumnamul jangajji is a soy-vinegar pickle of amaranth greens made by submerging the tender leaves in a boiled brine of soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar with cheongyang chili and garlic.

The soft leaves absorb the pickling liquid within a day, taking on a balanced sweet-salty flavor that makes them ready to eat as banchan. Vinegar neutralizes the grassy raw taste of the greens, and the chili and garlic deliver a sharp, spicy finish that builds at the back of the palate. The flavor deepens noticeably from the second day onward, so chilling the jar longer intensifies the pickle. Refrigerated, this keeps well for two to three weeks, making it a practical way to preserve in-season amaranth greens through the summer.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

amaranth greens350 gg

soy sauce150 mlml

water150 mlml

vinegar120 mlml

sugar80 gg

hot green chili2 eaea

garlic cloves6 eaea

kelp5 gg

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Trim tough thick stems from 350 g amaranth greens, wash thoroughly under running water, and air-dry on a rack.
2

Prep

Slice 2 cheongyang chilies into rounds and thinly slice 6 garlic cloves to prepare for layering in the jar.
3

Season

Combine 150 ml dark soy sauce, 150 ml water, 120 ml vinegar, 80 g sugar, and 5 g kelp in a pot; boil until sugar fully dissolves.
4

Step

Turn off the heat, leave for 5 minutes to draw out the kelp umami, then remove the kelp.
5

Prep

Layer amaranth greens, sliced chili, and garlic in the sterilized jar, then pour in the warm brine until vegetables are submerged.
6

Season

Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 days until the seasoning penetrates evenly.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Bireumnamul amaranth greens pickles gain umami depth from dried kelp simmered in the soy brine.
Finish cue: Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 days until the seasoning penetrates evenly.
Avoid this: Trim tough thick stems from 350 g amaranth greens, wash thoroughly under running water, and air-dry on a rack.
Storage and reheating: Refrigerated, this keeps well for two to three weeks, making it a practical way to preserve in-season amaranth greens through the summer.