This simple spinach salad is a popular Korean banchan (반찬), or side dish. Banchan are an integral part of a typical Korean meal, and are shared by everyone at the table. This type of banchan is called namul (나물), which are steamed, marinated, or stir-fried vegetables (usually seasoned with sesame oil, salt, vinegar, minced garlic, chopped green onions, dried chili peppers, and soy sauce). You can also use any leftover sigeumchi namul in other classic Korean dishes like bibimbap and kimbap.
Ingredients:
- 250g fresh spinach (about 1 9 oz. bag)
- 1 teaspoon salt (to add to the water)
- 6 cups of water
Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped scallion
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon ground salt (You can adjust the amount of salt per your requirement)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Method:
1. Trim the spinach roots and wash the spinach in cold water thoroughly. If you are using pre-washed, bagged baby spinach, you can just pick through the bag and remove any leaves that are past their prime.
2. Boil water in a pot/sauce pan for 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt. Once the water starts to boil, plunge the spinach into the pot and leave it for 30 seconds. The spinach should just begin to wilt.
3. Remove spinach from boiling water, and shock in a bowl of ice water to prevent it from cooking further.
4. Drain spinach and squeeze to remove any excess water.
5. Cut the spinach into 2-3 pieces with a knife. (If you are using baby spinach, you can skip this step.) Put spinach in bowl.
6. Add the seasoning and mix well with your hands. Serve and enjoy.