Spinach Tossed in Sesame Seasoning (시금치 나물)

When I was growing up in Korea, I didn't know spinach could be eaten raw. Spinach always appeared as a side dish, in kimbap (김밥 rice rolls), or in japchae (잡채 glass noodles with vegetables). I didn't grow up with any resistance towards spinach.

Then I came to the U.S., and realized for the first time that spinach could be eaten in its fresh, raw form. But grazing through a few fresh spinach leaves still doesn't appeal to me much. On the other hand, I can easily eat a bunch of spinach this way. If a quick blanching in salted, boiling water then seasoning with a handful of ingredients is all it takes for me, I think I'll stick to my spinach habit from my childhood.

If you ever thought how anyone could possibly finish a bag or a bunch of spinach in one sitting, I hope you try making this dish. And make sure to use a whole bag or a bunch. It's wilted to nothing after blanching, which is much more manageable. While a bag or a bunch of spinach is a relative amount, the recipe below is based on a packed cup of blanched spinach, so note the ingredient list and its ratio rather than the exact amount. Enjoy!

Spinach Tossed in Sesame Seasoning
(시금치 나물 shi geum chi na mul)

Yields - 4 side servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 bag/bunch Spinach (1 packed cup after blanching)
4 cups Water
2 Tablespoons Coarse sea salt

Seasoning
1 clove Garlic, peeled and grated
1 Scallion, trimmed and finely chopped
1~2 teaspoons Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon Toasted sesame seeds, crushed (see !TIPS!)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Add coarse sea salt and dissolve completely. Add spinach and blanch just until it wilts, which happens immediately. Drain, rinse in cold water (or ice water) and squeeze out excess water.

2. Make the seasoning by mixing together grated garlic, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds.

3. Mix in the seasoning to blanched spinach thoroughly. Serve warm or cold as a side dish with a bowl of rice. The leftover can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

! TIPS !
! Add this seasoned spinach to other Korean dishes, such as Japchae (glass noodles with vegetables), Bibimbap (rice mixed with spicy sauce and vegetables) and Kimbap (rice rolls).
! Toasting sesame seeds at home and crushing them before you add to any dish bring out more flavor from sesame seeds. Take time to toast them on a dry skillet over low heat until you smell the nutty sesame seeds and see the color turning to golden. Cool it down to room temperature, then put them in a ziploc bag, seal it and crush them with a rolling pin (picture below) or a handle part of a wooden spoon (basically anything round). You can use what you need for any dish then keep the rest in the ziploc bag in the refrigerator.