Sigeumchi muchim is one of those simple side dishes that shows up on the Korean table almost every day.
This time, instead of my usual method, I tried a version inspired by a recipe from a school cafeteria chef featured on a cooking competition show.
What stood out most was the idea of lightly sautéing the minced garlic in oil before mixing it in, rather than just adding raw garlic like I normally do.
I wasn’t sure if the garlic flavor would still come through once it was cooked, but after making it myself, it turned out even tastier than I expected.
Here’s how I made it.
Ingredients
- Spinach – 400g (about 14 oz)
- Minced garlic – 1 T
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Tuna sauce – 1/2 T (a Korean liquid seasoning made from tuna extract, similar to fish sauce; can substitute with fish sauce or anchovy sauce)
- Guk-ganjang – 1/2 T (Korean soup soy sauce; can substitute with regular soy sauce plus a pinch of salt)
- Sesame oil – 1 T
- Roasted sesame seeds – 1 T
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
1. Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a pan and sauté the minced garlic over low heat.
Tip: Garlic keeps cooking from residual heat, so once it starts sizzling, cook it for just about 10 more seconds before turning off the heat.
2Trim and rinse the spinach well, then blanch it in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3Immediately rinse the blanched spinach in cold water to stop the cooking and cool it down.
4In a large bowl, combine the tuna sauce, guk-ganjang, sesame oil, and sesame seeds to make the seasoning.
5Squeeze out the excess water from the spinach, add it to the bowl, and toss well so the seasoning coats it evenly.
6Finally, add the sautéed garlic and give everything one more toss to finish.
Making this version based on the cafeteria chef’s recipe really highlighted how different a small change can make things.
The biggest difference from my usual method was cooking the minced garlic in oil instead of adding it raw.
I expected the garlic flavor to fade once cooked, but it actually came through in a milder, more mellow way while still being noticeable.
With the savory depth from the tuna sauce and the aroma of the cooked garlic, this had a different kind of appeal compared to the spinach namul I usually make.
If you make sigeumchi muchim often, this garlic-sautéing trick might be worth working into your usual routine.
Ingredients
- Spinach – 400g (about 14 oz)
- Minced garlic – 1 T
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Tuna sauce – 1/2 T (a Korean liquid seasoning made from tuna extract, similar to fish sauce; can substitute with fish sauce or anchovy sauce)
- Guk-ganjang – 1/2 T (Korean soup soy sauce; can substitute with regular soy sauce plus a pinch of salt)
- Sesame oil – 1 T
- Roasted sesame seeds – 1 T
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
- Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a pan and sauté the minced garlic over low heat.
Tip.Garlic keeps cooking from residual heat, so once it starts sizzling, cook it for just about 10 more seconds before turning off the heat. - Trim and rinse the spinach well, then blanch it in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Immediately rinse the blanched spinach in cold water to stop the cooking and cool it down.
- In a large bowl, combine the tuna sauce, guk-ganjang, sesame oil, and sesame seeds to make the seasoning.
- Squeeze out the excess water from the spinach, add it to the bowl, and toss well so the seasoning coats it evenly.
- Finally, add the sautéed garlic and give everything one more toss to finish.
