Tender sesame radish (mu namul)
A mild Korean cooked radish side dish: gentle sautéing and covered steaming soften the strips without browning. Different from a raw spicy radish salad.
Ingredients
2 servings
Everyday kitchen measurements
For 2 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).
How to fill the cup and spoons
Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.
King Arthur Baking-
Essential
Required; cut evenly for uniform cooking.
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Essential
Adds a mild savory base; do not brown it.
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Essential
For the first gentle sauté.
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Essential
For steaming; with very juicy daikon start with 40 ml and add more if needed.
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Essential
Seasons the radish; adjust only after cooking.
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Substitute available
If Sesame oil — 5 ml is unavailable
Finishing aroma; for a sesame allergy replace with neutral oil.
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Optional
Optional garnish; omit without changing other quantities.
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Optional
Optional garnish; omit for a sesame allergy.
Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.
Step-by-step cooking
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Step 1
Peel the radish. Cut into 3 mm slices, stack a few and cut into 3 mm matchsticks, about 5 cm long. Uneven thick pieces stay hard while thin ones collapse. Mince garlic and thinly slice the spring onion, keeping it for the end.
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Step 2
Warm neutral oil in a 24 cm pan over medium-low heat. Add radish and salt and stir gently for 2 minutes, until glossy but not browned. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds; if it starts coloring, lower the heat immediately.
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Step 3
Add the measured water, cover and cook on low for 6–8 minutes, stirring once halfway through. A strip should be slightly translucent and bend easily, without a raw hard center. If still firm cook 2 minutes more; if the pan dries first, add about 1 level eating spoon (15 ml) water. Keep a little steam, not a deep pool of liquid.
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Step 4
Uncover and cook 1–2 minutes until excess liquid evaporates. Turn off the heat, then fold in sesame oil and the optional spring onion and seeds. Taste before adding more salt. Serve warm or at room temperature; the radish should remain in soft separate strips.
Finished dish
2 side-dish servings. Vegan. Contains sesame unless both sesame ingredients are omitted or replaced as described. Do not add sugar: the radish becomes naturally sweeter as it cooks. Refrigerate cooled leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 days; reheat gently with a spoonful of water.
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Enjoy every bite
How to enjoy it
Serve a small portion beside rice and a spicy main; its mild flavor gives the palate a rest.
Serve it with
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Delicate silver beltfish with juicy radish in a chili-soy sauce. This dish keeps the fish in large pieces; remove bones carefully before eating.