Siraegi-namul (Seasoned Dried Radish Greens)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large bowl for overnight soaking
• •Large pot with lid
• •Wide skillet with lid
• •Mixing bowl for hand-seasoning

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the greens

   Rinse the dried siraegi under running water, rubbing away dust and any grit caught in the stems. Put it in a large bowl, cover with at least 2 inches of cold water, and soak 8 hours or overnight. Dried radish greens do not forgive impatience; soaking lets the stems relax before boiling, so they turn tender instead of stringy.

2. 2

   Boil until tender

   Drain the soaked greens and put them in a pot with 8 cups fresh water and 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer and cook 45 to 60 minutes, until the thickest stem bends easily between your fingers. If it still snaps, it is not ready. Add more water if the pot drops below the greens.

3. 3

   Cool and peel

   Drain the greens and rinse in cool water until you can handle them. Pinch a thick stem near the end and pull away the tough outer skin where it comes off easily. Do not chase every thread until you hate the dish. Peel the thick stems, leave the tender leaves alone, and squeeze gently so the greens stay damp but not dripping.

   This peeling is the step the dish lives or dies by. Skip it and the namul eats like rope. Do it properly and even a hard winter green becomes soft enough for rice.
4. 4

   Cut and season

   Cut the greens into 2-inch lengths. Put them in a mixing bowl with the doenjang, guk-ganjang, perilla oil, sesame oil, garlic, scallion, perilla seed powder, sesame seeds, and gochugaru if using. Massage everything in by hand for 1 minute, separating the leaves so the seasoning reaches inside. Taste one strand now. It should taste slightly stronger than finished, because the broth will soften it.

5. 5

   Saute slowly

   Set a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned greens and stir for 2 minutes, just until the doenjang smells rounded and the garlic loses its raw edge. Pour in 1 cup anchovy-kelp broth or water, lower the heat, cover, and cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. The liquid should mostly disappear, leaving the greens glossy and tender, not dry.

6. 6

   Finish and rest

   Taste before adding anything. If it needs salt, add 1/2 teaspoon more guk-ganjang, not another spoon of doenjang, or the soybean paste will bury the radish greens. Let the namul rest 10 minutes off the heat before serving. Siraegi tastes better warm or at room temperature, after the seasoning settles into the stems.

Chef Tips

• •Buy siraegi that smells clean and grassy-dry, not musty. The color can be dull green or brown-green; that is normal. Black spots, sour smell, or damp clumps mean it was stored badly.
• •Perilla seed powder thickens the pan juices and gives siraegi its soft, nutty body. If you cannot find it, use 1 tablespoon more perilla oil and accept a lighter dish. Do not replace it with peanut butter or sugar. That belongs nowhere near this bowl.
• •Commercial doenjang varies wildly in salt. Start with 1 1/2 tablespoons, then adjust with guk-ganjang at the end. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway, because your next tub of doenjang will not taste exactly like this one.
• •The safe shortcut is soaking and boiling the greens a day ahead. The unsafe shortcut is skipping the peel on thick stems. One saves your evening; the other ruins the texture.

Advance Preparation

• •The siraegi can be soaked, boiled, peeled, squeezed, and cut up to 2 days ahead. Keep it refrigerated in a covered container with a damp paper towel or a few spoonfuls of its cooking liquid so it does not dry out.
• •Finished siraegi-namul keeps 4 days in the refrigerator. Serve it cool, room temperature, or gently rewarmed in a skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
• •For a faster weeknight version, buy refrigerated boiled siraegi from a Korean market. Still rinse it, check the stems, peel any tough pieces, and season it yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 115g)