Rice Medium

Korean Abalone Mung Bean Porridge

Quick answer

Total time: 55 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Jeonbok nokdu juk is a Korean restorative porridge that soaks and simmers mung beans alongside rice to build a thickened base, then incorporates abalone for a combination of nutty creaminess and ocean flavor.

Mung beans break down considerably during cooking, giving the finished porridge a noticeably denser and more velvety consistency than standard abalone porridge made with rice alone. Abalone innards are sauteed with garlic in sesame oil before joining the porridge, a step that draws out a deep, toasty aroma and forms the flavor backbone of the dish. Replacing plain water with kelp stock adds a layer of clean umami to the liquid base and enriches the overall taste. The abalone flesh is added during the final five minutes only to prevent overcooking, which would tighten the muscle and make it tough rather than springy. Throughout the long cooking, the porridge must be stirred regularly over low heat so the mung beans and rice dissolve completely into a smooth, uniform texture without catching on the bottom of the pot. Chopped scallion scattered over the finished bowl introduces a pop of green color and a fresh, bright fragrance that lightens the rich porridge.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

Short-grain rice120 gg

Mung beans60 gg

Abalone2 eaea

Kelp stock900 mlml

Garlic1 tsptsp

Sesame oil1 tbsptbsp

Salt1 tsptsp

Chopped scallion15 gg

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Instructions

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

6 steps

1

Heat

Rinse 120 g short-grain rice and 60 g mung beans until the water runs mostly clear, then soak for 30 minutes.

Drain them well in a sieve so excess water does not splatter during the initial stir-frying.
2

Prep

Scrub 2 abalones thoroughly with a brush, then separate the flesh from the innards.

Chop the flesh into small pieces and mince the innards finely so their flavor spreads evenly through the porridge base.
3

Control

Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to a pot and cook the minced innards with 1 teaspoon garlic over low heat.

Stir gently until the aroma turns nutty, then stop before the garlic darkens or the innards scorch.
4

Control

Add the drained rice and mung beans, then stir-fry over low heat for about 2 minutes to coat the grains with the aromatic oil.

Pour in 900 ml kelp stock and scrape the bottom clean.
5

Control

When the stock begins to boil, reduce to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir every 3-4 minutes, scraping the bottom, until the mung beans and rice start breaking down into a thick, smooth porridge.
6

Finish

Add the chopped abalone and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in 1 tsp salt, lower the heat, stir until the desired consistency, and finish with 15g chopped scallion.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Nutty mung beans fused with fresh abalone form this thick, restorative jeonbok nokdu juk.
Finish cue: Add the drained rice and mung beans, then stir-fry over low heat for about 2 minutes to coat the grains with the aromatic oil.
Avoid this: Avoid prolonged high heat to prevent scorching.