When you need a quick side dish made with simple ingredients, a bowl of seasoned spinach is an easy addition to an everyday meal.
Sigeumchi namul (Korean seasoned spinach) is a classic Korean side dish that keeps its bright green color and crisp-tender texture when the blanching time is just right. After a quick blanch, the spinach is gently seasoned with sesame oil, garlic, green onion, and toasted sesame seeds, so the whole dish comes together in about 10 minutes without complicated seasoning.
Enjoy this light and savory spinach side dish with a tender bite, subtle natural sweetness, and nutty sesame aroma.
⏱️ Cooking Time: About 10 minutes
🍳 Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
✓ Ingredients
🥣 Main Ingredients
- 300 g (10.6 oz) spinach
- 1 tbsp minced green onion
- A small amount of julienned carrot
- 1 tbsp fine salt, for blanching
🧂 Seasonings
- 1/3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1.5 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/3 tbsp seasoned salt
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
(Measurement guide: 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml, 1 Korean paper cup = 180 ml / 6.1 fl oz)
✓ How to Make Sigeumchi Namul
- Boil the water and add salt: Pour 2 L (about 2.1 qt) of water into a pot. Once it comes to a boil, add 1 tbsp fine salt. Blanching leafy greens in salted water helps maintain their bright green color.
- Blanch the spinach: Trim the spinach roots, place the spinach in the boiling water, and turn it over once after 30 seconds.
- Remove the spinach: As soon as the water begins to return to a boil, immediately remove the spinach from the pot.
- Rinse in cold water: Transfer the spinach directly to cold water and rinse it thoroughly 3–4 times to stop the residual cooking.
- Squeeze out the water: Gather the rinsed spinach in both hands and press firmly to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
- Season the spinach: Place the drained spinach, julienned carrot, minced green onion, and all of the seasonings in a bowl. Gently mix and massage everything together until evenly seasoned.
✓ Key Tips for Success
- Keep the total blanching time under 1 minute. Overcooking the spinach can make it too soft and cause it to lose its crisp-tender texture.
- When squeezing the blanched spinach, avoid twisting it so hard that the leaves become bruised. At the same time, remove enough moisture so the seasoning does not become diluted or slide off the spinach.
✓ Serving Tips
- Just before serving, lightly crush the toasted sesame seeds between your palms before adding them to the spinach. This helps bring out more of their nutty aroma.
✓ How to Choose Good Spinach
- Leaf color and firmness: Choose spinach with deep green leaves that look thick, firm, and unwilted.
- Roots and stems: Look for roots with a vivid reddish or pink color. The stems should be tender rather than excessively long or thick.
- Shape and freshness: Fresh spinach should have leaf tips that are not dried out, with the leaves gathered neatly rather than spreading loosely apart.
✓ Spinach Nutrition per 100 g (3.5 oz)
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 g (3.5 oz) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 29.00 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 4.86 g |
| Protein | 3.35 g |
| Fat | 0.39 g |
| Sodium | 23.00 mg |
Values are based on 100 g (3.5 oz) of raw spinach. Actual nutrition values may vary depending on variety, product, and cooking method.
Source: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Food Nutrition Database – Raw Ingredients
✓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. Should I cover the pot when blanching spinach?
No. Blanch the spinach with the pot uncovered so volatile organic acids can escape, which helps maintain the spinach’s bright green color.
Q2. Why does seasoned spinach become watery after it sits for a while?
This can happen if the spinach was not squeezed thoroughly enough after blanching, or as the salt draws additional moisture from the vegetables. Remove as much excess water as possible before seasoning, and mix the spinach shortly before serving.
Briefly blanched spinach keeps a pleasant crisp-tender texture, while sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds add a simple nutty flavor that pairs easily with rice and other Korean dishes. Because this sigeumchi namul recipe uses only a few ingredients and takes about 10 minutes, it is an easy side dish to prepare whenever you need something quick for the table.
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