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| Seasoned Vegetables |
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Namul is equivalent to cooked or fresh vegetables in Western
dining. Koreans make the most of young leaves, sprouts, roots, stems,
fruits, and nuts. Cultivated or wild, these ingredients are readily
turned into namul dishes. Nowadays, city dwellers are especially
fond of wild vegetables as they are considered free from pollution.
Sometimes the vegetables are left raw, sometimes dried, stir-fried,
parboiled, boiled, or steamed. These vegetables are seasoned with salt,
red pepper powder, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, sesame seed, vinegar,
sliced green onions, or hot pepper paste (goch'ujang).
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Chwi Namul (Scientific name:
Ligularia fischeri) |
 The young leaves of this mountain vegetable have a distinctive flavor
enjoyed by rice eaters. The leaves are parboiled, soaked and drained,
then seasoned with sesame seeds, sesame oil, hot pepper paste, and salt.
Natural food enthusiasts, as well as vegetarians, enjpoy this dish. The
leaves can also be parboiled and dried for storage until as late as the
following spring for later use. |
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Doraji Namul (Bellflower Root
Salad) |
Raw bellflower roots are peeled, torn lengthwise into thin strips, and
seasoned with salt, vinegar, red pepper powder, sesame seed, and oil to
make a red colored salad. The roots strips Can be pan-fried with salad
oil, sesame seeds, and salt for a white-colored salad.
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Gaji Namul (Steamed
or Fried Eggplant) |
Eggplants are steamed, cut lengthwise, and seasoned with soy sauce,
sesame seeds, sesame oil, and a small amount of red pepper powder,
depending on personal taste. They can also be pan-fried by first dipping
the eggplant in egg batter.
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Gosari Namul (Parboiled Fern
Braken Salad) |
The young spring shoots of ferns are picked, parboiled, dried, and
stored for year 'round use by Buddhist monks or families living near the
mountains. The dried ferns are soaked and pan-fried with minced beef
then seasoned with sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, and chopped green
onions.
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Hobak Namul (Pan Fried or
Braised Summer Squash) |
This dish has many different styles. Summer squash is cut into circles
or half circles and dipped in egg batter before pan frying for small
servings. They can also be braised for large servings. For even larger
servings, it is seasoned with minced beef, soy sauce, garlic, salted
shrimp, and other garnishes.
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Kong Namul (Boiled and
Seasoned Bean Sprouts) |
Soy bean sprouts are boiled in a pan with a tight-fitting lid that
should not be opened until finished. Afterwards, they are drained and
seasoned with sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, a little red pepper
powder, and garlic. The sprouts can easily be grown almost anywhere,
making them a common dish.
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Sukju Namul (Soy Bean
Sprouts Salad) |
Like soy bean sprouts, these sprouts can be grown indoors without sun or
soil. The sprouts are parboiled and the water squeezed out. Then they
are seasoned with sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic.
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