Sukjunamul – Korean Bean Sprout Salad

There're a few ways to prep mung bean sprouts, and the one you choose says a lot about your character.

If you leave the roots and buds as they are, you are (or are destined to be) a great leader. You're a forest person; you don't sweat the small stuff like trees, much less itsy-bitsy-pesky roots. Either that or . . . you're a hawker.

If you take time to pluck off the roots, you're a perfectionist.

If you buy bean sprouts that already have their roots plucked, you're a clever perfectionist.

If you pluck not only the roots but also the buds, there are three possible explanations. One, you are super anal retentive. Two, you are a shrewd restauranteur charging obscene prices for stir-fried bean sprouts. Three . . . . I'll tell you what the third one is when I think of it.

If you don't even know that there are people who painstakingly remove the roots and buds one by one, you're probably a barbarian.

If you eat bean sprouts raw, roots and all, you're definitely a barbarian – maybe a dead one because of e. coli lurking evily in said sprouts.



Sukjunamul is a Korean banchan (side dish) made with lightly blanched bean sprouts that don't taste green but are wonderfully crisp. Cucumber, unpeeled, may be added to brighten up the pale sprouts. Unlike other salads, there's nothing sour in the dressing for Sukjunamul. Instead, it's just salt and white sesame oil, embellished with white sesame seeds, spring onions, garlic and dried chilli flakes. The pungence of the garlic and spring onions blends with the bean sprouts and sesame seeds/oil and isn't too domineering, whilst the chilli is colourful but not spicy. Mild and easy to eat, Sukjunamul is ideal when you want something featherlight. It's good whether the bean sprouts are with or without roots and buds.

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SUKJUNAMUL (KOREAN BEAN SPROUT SALAD) Source: Adapted from Maangchi (Recipe for 4 persons) 350 g mung bean sprouts ½ cup water ½ tsp salt 1 Japanese cucumber (200 g) ½ tsp salt ¾ tsp salt 1 large clove garlic, peel and mince 2 tsp white sesame oil 1 tsp dried chilli flakes 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds 2 tbsp roughly chopped spring onions Wash bean sprouts thoroughly. Bring water and salt to a boil in a big pot. Add bean sprouts, cover and simmer on high heat for 2 minutes. Stir, cover and simmer for another minute. Check that all bean sprouts are just translucent. If not, continue cooking, stirring to even out the heat. Drain and refresh in cold water, drain again, then gently squeeze dry. Bean sprouts should be just cooked, just translucent and very crisp. Wash, trim and core cucumber, leaving skin on. Cut into matchstick size pieces. You should have about 1 cup. Mix with salt. Leave to sweat 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry. Mix bean sprouts and cucumber with salt, garlic, sesame oil and chilli flakes. Refrigerate if not serving immediately. To serve, roughly crush sesame seeds with the back of a Chinese soup spoon. Add to bean sprouts & friends, along with spring onions. Toss to mix through. Pat yourself on the back and tuck in. If you're not a perfectionist, you may prefer to leave the sesame seeds whole, assemble the salad, then eat it whenever (like the next day). It'll be less fragrant and the spring onions will be wilted, but you'll spare yourself 36.7 seconds of last minute work.

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