Yulmu-juk (Job's Tears Porridge)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large bowl for soaking
• •High-speed blender or stone mill
• •Fine sieve
• •Heavy 2-quart saucepan
• •Wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the grains

   Rinse the yulmu and rice separately until the water runs mostly clear. Put them together in a bowl, cover with plenty of water, and soak 8 hours or overnight. Yulmu is harder than rice, and soaking is not decoration here; it is what lets the grain grind fine enough to cook smooth.

2. 2

   Drain and grind

   Drain the soaked grains well. Put them in a blender with 2 cups of the measured water and grind for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture looks milky and fine. Rub a drop between your fingers. If it feels gritty, grind another 30 seconds. That little test saves the whole pot.

3. 3

   Strain if needed

   If your blender is strong and the mixture feels smooth, use it as it is. If you still feel coarse bits, pour it through a fine sieve into a heavy pot, pressing with a spoon, then rinse the sieve with 1 cup of the remaining water. Keep the strained liquid and fine pulp; discard only the hard grit that refuses to pass.

4. 4

   Start the porridge

   Add the remaining water to the pot, 5 cups total counting what went into the blender. Set the pot over medium heat and stir from the bottom with a wooden spoon. At first it will look too thin. Leave it thin. Yulmu thickens slowly, and a heavy porridge turns pasty before the grain tastes cooked.

5. 5

   Simmer and stir

   When the porridge begins to tremble at the edges, lower the heat to medium-low and cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every minute and scraping the corners of the pot. Do not walk away. The starch settles first, then catches. The porridge is ready when it coats the spoon lightly and the raw grain smell has gone.

6. 6

   Season at the end

   Stir in 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, then taste. Add more only a pinch at a time. Salt goes in at the end because the porridge reduces as it cooks, and early salt can become too strong. The finished bowl should taste of yulmu first, with the salt only making the grain clearer.

7. 7

   Serve quietly

   Ladle into warm bowls. Add a few pine nuts or a little chopped jujube if the table wants it, and a few drops of sesame oil only if you like a rounder finish. Serve with water kimchi or a small clean banchan, not a loud red side dish that bullies the porridge.

Chef Tips

• •Buy whole yulmu for porridge, not sweetened instant yulmu-cha powder. The powder belongs to a mug, and many brands include sugar, powdered milk, nuts, or flavoring that will change the dish.
• •A high-speed blender makes this easier, but it does not excuse skipping the soak. Dry yulmu is hard enough to leave grit even after grinding, and grit is the one failure this porridge cannot hide.
• •If you want a thinner breakfast bowl, add 1/2 cup hot water near the end and stir until smooth. If you want it thicker, cook 5 minutes longer. Do not thicken it with flour. The grain should carry itself.

Advance Preparation

• •Soak the yulmu and rice together overnight in the refrigerator if your kitchen is warm. Drain just before grinding.
• •The porridge is best fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat gently with 1/4 to 1/2 cup water per serving, stirring until smooth again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)