Biryeom Namul Muchim

Start with 300 g amaranth greens. Snap off each thick, woody stem end, then rinse the leaves and stems under cold running water 2 to 3 times to remove grit caught between them. Bring a pot of water to a full boil and add the greens for less than 1 minute. Lift them out before the leaves become limp and move them directly into cold water for 1 minute to stop the cooking. Squeeze the cooled greens firmly in handfuls until almost no water remains. Cut them into 4 to 5 cm lengths, trimming the thicker stem sections a little shorter so they can be eaten together with the leaves. Add 1 tablespoon doenjang, 1 teaspoon soup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced scallion, and 1.5 tablespoons perilla oil. Toss until every stem and leaf carries an even layer of seasoning. Finish with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and fold once more without crushing the leaves. No watery dressing should collect at the bottom of the bowl. Thorough draining keeps the doenjang and soy sauce concentrated and allows the measured perilla oil to coat the greens instead of separating into the liquid.