Korean Blanched Young Napa with Doenjang
Quick answer
- Total time
- 17 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Eolgali, young napa cabbage cut before the head fills out, has leaves thin enough to need only about a minute in boiling water.
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It is dressed mildly, with doenjang, garlic, scallion, and sesame oil and no chili, a habit carried over from country tables that turned whatever grew in the garden between kimchi-making seasons into namul.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Rinse 350 g young napa cabbage under running water, opening the base and leaves so any grit washes away.
Trim rough ends if needed, split thicker ribs once lengthwise, and cut everything into 5 cm pieces.
- 2
Bring a generous pot of water to a rolling boil, then add 0.5 tsp salt.
Keep the heat high and add the cabbage only when the water returns to a strong boil, so the leaves blanch quickly instead of soaking.
- 3
Blanch the cabbage for about 1 minute.
When the leaves turn vivid and wilt while the pale ribs still bend with a slight snap, lift it out immediately and rinse in cold water to stop carryover cooking.
- 4
Cool the cabbage fully, then squeeze it one handful at a time.
Press firmly until water no longer drips from the greens, because excess moisture will dilute the doenjang and leave the seasoning loose.
- 5
In a bowl, loosen 1.5 tbsp doenjang with 1 tsp minced garlic, 20 g finely sliced green onion, and 1 tsp sesame oil before adding the cabbage. If the paste tastes too salty or stiff, soften it with 1 tsp water.
- 6
Add the squeezed cabbage and separate the pieces with your fingertips as you mix, pressing the seasoning between the leaves.
When every piece is evenly coated, scatter 1 tsp sesame seeds over it and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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