This watercress and mung bean sprout side dish is very nutritious and simple to make. Since it does not have that many seasonings, its unique flavor comes from the watercress and mung bean sprouts. This is very simple and it tastes best when it is fresh, so usually this dish is made and served right before a Korean meal as a side dish. In my personal opinion, the flavor of the watercress can help increase your appetite, so it can be good as an appetizer also. If you are using leftover side dishes or vegetables for your bibimbap, this is also a perfect addition.
Yield: 1 Cup
Short Korean Lesson
- MiNaRi (미나리) = Watercress
- SukJu (숙주) = Mung Bean Sprout
Video Instructions
Main Ingredients
- 1 Handful Watercress (4 oz)
- 5 oz Mung Bean Sprouts
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Sesame Seeds
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
Directions
Clean 1 handful of watercress and remove any bad parts from the ends. Cut them into 2 inch pieces.
Prepare 5 oz of mung bean sprouts. Remove any bad parts and rinse them gently.
In boiling water, cook the mung bean sprouts for about 3 minutes on high.
In boiling water, cook the watercress for about 20 seconds on high with a ½ tsp of salt. The salt helps to keep the color nicely green.
After you are done cooking the watercress, quickly put the cooked watercress into cold water. Set it aside for few minutes until the watercress cools. The cold water also helps to keep the color nicely green.
Squeeze out the water from both the watercress and the mung bean sprouts.
In a bowl, combine the watercress, mung bean sprouts, 1 tsp of minced garlic, ½ tsp of salt, ½ tsp of sesame seeds, and 1 tsp of sesame oil.
Mix everything together gently.
Wow, the color is beautiful. I think I can smell the watercress and sesame oil just looking at this picture. 😉 Yum~~~ I hope you will like this recipe, especially if you are a vegetarian. Try it someday. 😉
Thanks for this recipe, Aeri. I never saw anything like it in Korea–I think, I’ll have to taste it to make sure. Watercress is easy to find here. I’m vegetarian too, but who can’t use more ways to include vegetables in the diet?
hi Katharine in Brussels,
Yes, try it someday. I guess you will like it.. hehe.. wow..I envy you because watercress is easy to find there. 🙂
Haha yes watercress is easy to find in Belgium, but here in Holland we only get very tiny watercress plants 🙁 I happen to live only 15 mins from the border so there’s a Belgian supermarket close by! <3 europe
hi sirdanilot,
That’s really cool that you can go different counties easily like that. @.@ hehe.. thanks
Looks good! Wonder if I can find watercress over here…
aloha i love korean recipes and i would love to make the watercress with the beanspouts…also i want to learn how to make chapche???but i dont know the whole recipe,,,I would appreciate if i can have a recipe??
thanks
tess.
Hi Aeri!
Oh my goodness I’m soooo happy to have found your site!!! I’m a Korean American living in Korea and I have heard so many different terms on how to boil something and cut something, but I’m not sure as to the exact method! For example, I generally know that 대치다 means to boil something for a quick moment, but now I know (I think) from this site that about 20 seconds will do it. Thank you so much for contributing your talent! Also this website is very clean and organized.
I’ll be visiting very often once I move out (living with my aunt) and get into a kitchen of my own! Can’t wait to try your recipes >_<
I ate this the other day and couldn’t figure out how they made it! I’m going to try it out and if it turns out well, do you mind if I share your recipe on my blog?
Sure you can share it.. I will be appreciate if you mention where the recipe came from.. (aeriskitchen) at least though..hehe
i am going to cook this later, can i share you my picture? thank you.
hi anelyn,
Sure, please with me, I love to see your pic of Korean cooking. ^^ thanks