Korean Breakfast Banchan 4: Siraegi-guk, Korean Steamed Egg, Spinach Tofu Muchim

Today’s Korean Breakfast Menu is Siraegi-guk, Korean Steamed Eggs and Spinach Tofu Muchim. During my stay, my mom has been routinely cooking these banchans for breakfast. And I’ve been enjoying them so much! I put the recipes on film so I could replicate it back in Korea. Each of these dishes (besides the steamed eggs) are vegetarian-friendly and packed with deep flavor. Try them out! They’re filling but won’t make you feel heavy.

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Here are a few cooking notes about each recipe.

Siraegi-guk: At Korean markets, you will find radish greens. These are the leaves and stems that sprout out of Korean radishes (see below). For this soup, you can use either the fresh or dried ones. The fresh greens are called moo-chung (무청) in Korean. The dried ones are called Shiraegi (시래기). I prefer to the fresh ones. But if you do buy the dried version, soak them in water for a couple of hours.

Korean Steamed Eggs: My mom likes to make her steamed eggs using anchovy-kelp broth (vs. plain water). It makes the dish taste so much better. (I made a simpler version here). Also, she likes to put the egg mixture through a strainer which makes it taste more silky and smooth.

Spinach & Tofu Muchim: This recipe is fail-proof. Well, the only thing to avoid is over-boiling the spinach. Boil them for only 30 seconds. That way, the spinach has chewing texture.

Also, here is a quick link on how to make anchovy-kelp broth. Happy eats ya’ll!

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Korean Breakfast 4: Siraegi-guk, Korean Steamed Eggs, Spinach Tofu Muchim

Siraegi-guk, Korean Steamed Eggs, Spinach Tofu Muchim

Course Easy

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

Siraegi-guk

• Fresh Radish Greens or Siraegi - 2 stalks
• Anchovy-Kelp Broth - 5 cups
• Doenjang paste - 2 Tablespoons
• Tofu - 250 grams
• Minced garlic - 1 Tablespoon
• Green onion - 2 Tablespoons
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

Korean Steamed Eggs

• Eggs - 5
• Mirim - 1 Tablespoon
• Anchovy - Kelp Broth - 2 cups
• Salt - 1/2 Tablespoon
• Green onion - 3 Tablespoons

Spinach Tofu Muchim

• Spinach - 2 large fistful
• Tofu - 250 grams
• Soy sauce - 2 Tablespoons 
• Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
• Sugar - 1/2 Tablespoon
• Sesame seeds - 1 Tablespoon
• Salt - 1-2 shakes optional, to taste

Instructions

Siraegi-guk

• Give the radish greens an initial rinse. Then bring a pot of water up to boil. When boiling, put the radish greens in (put them in stem-side first). Blanche them (with lid on) for 2-3 minutes. 
• Put blanched greens through a strainer. Wash them under cold water. Then give them 2-3 good squeezes and take out the excess water. Chop the radish greens into small bite-sized pieces. Set aside
• Put 5 cups of anchovy-kelp broth into a large pot. Bring it up to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, place in 2T of deonjang paste. Then put the diced radish greens in. Place lid on. Once broth starts to boil again, start your timer for 7 minutes. 
• In the meanwhile, chop up the green onion into small pieces. And cut tofu into small cubes. 
• After 7 minutes, place in 1T minced garlic into the soup. Place lid back on and let it boil for 2 minutes so the garlic can infuse into the broth.
• After 2 minutes, place the tofu pieces in. Let it cook for a final 2-3 minutes (or until the radish greens turn soft). 
• Finally, use a soup ladle and skim the bubbles off the top. Give it a taste - if slightly bland, place in about 1 teaspoon of salt. Finish off with some green onions.
• Serve and enjoy! 

Korean Steamed Eggs

• Crack 5 eggs into a microwave-safe bowl. Thoroughly beat the eggs.
• Pour 1 Tablespoon of mirim in the egg mixture.
• Then pour in 2 cups of anchovy-kelp broth. Mix it together.
• Put in 1/2 Tablespoon of salt. Put 3 Tablespoons of green onions. Mix it again.
• Place plastic wrap over the bowl. Poke a few holes into it so it will steam.
• Cook into the microwave for 7 minutes. 
• Take out and serve (be careful, its hot!)

Spinach Tofu Muchim

• Start by grabbing 2 fistfuls of spinach: Wash and take the stems off them
• Place tofu into a kitchen towel and squeeze the water out. Then use a knife and smoosh down on the block. Turn it into small crumbles (refer to video).
• Make marinade: Mix 2T soy sauce, 1T sesame oil, 1/2T sugar, and 1T sesame seeds. 
• Place frying pan on medium heat. Place teaspoon of cooking oil in. Once its hot, put tofu crumbles in. Then place half of the marinade in. Stir around until there is no more liquid in the pan. Take out of pan and set aside. 
• Then bring a pot of water up to a boil. Season the water with some salt. Once water is boiling, blanche spinach in for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, strain them and run under cold water. Strain them once more. Then gently squeeze the water out of the spinach.
• Place the squeezed spinach into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands and de-tangle them. Then place the seasoned tofu crumbles in.  Add the other half of the sauce in. Mix it around. Give it taste. If it tastes slightly bland, add 1-2 shakes of salt (don't add too much). Give a final mix. 
• Plate and enjoy!

Notes

• I didn't end up using all of the seasoned tofu - only about 1/2 
• Click here for the anchovy-kelp broth recipe. 
• Refer to video below for more details

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