Ggondre Namul Rice: Enjoy the Deep Mountain Aroma and Flavor at Home
How to Make Delicious Ggondre Namul Rice at Home: Easy Preparation to Flavorful Seasoning Recipe
After exploring the market in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, we stumbled upon a cozy, home-like restaurant where we tasted Ggondre Namul Rice – a truly new culinary experience! To recreate that moment at home, I’ll guide you through everything from preparing the ggondre (korean thistle), cooking the rice perfectly, to making a delicious seasoned sauce with wild chives (dallae). Mix the freshly cooked warm ggondre rice with the fragrant sauce, and you’ll savor a depth of flavor equal to, or even better than, what you had in Jeongseon. It’s a hearty and healthy meal perfect for special occasions or everyday dining!
Ggondre Namul Rice Ingredients- 2 cups short-grain rice (approx. 360g)
- 200g blanched and prepared ggondre (korean thistle)
- 1.5 cups anchovy-kelp broth or plain rice water (approx. 270ml)
Ggondre Seasoning Ingredients- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp soup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, thoroughly squeeze out the water from the blanched ggondre namul. Then, finely chop the ggondre into about 1cm lengths. In a bowl, combine the chopped ggondre with 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Gently mix by hand, massaging the ingredients together. This pre-seasoning will enhance the flavor of the ggondre when cooked into the rice.
Step 2
Lightly stir-frying the seasoned ggondre before cooking the rice can add an extra layer of nutty flavor. Heat a lightly oiled pan (use a bit of sesame oil) and stir-fry the seasoned ggondre for just 1-2 minutes. (Note: If you are using a pressure cooker to make the rice, you can skip this stir-frying step and simply add the seasoned ggondre directly onto the rice. For regular pots or electric rice cookers, stir-frying is recommended for enhanced flavor.)
Step 3
Rinse the rice thoroughly and let it soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. While the rice is soaking, prepare your cooking pot (a stone pot, regular pot, or electric rice cooker). Add the soaked rice to the pot and arrange the stir-fried (or seasoned) ggondre namul attractively on top.
Step 4
Use slightly less water than you normally would for cooking rice. For 2 cups of rice, about 1.5 cups (approx. 270ml) of water is usually sufficient. (Adjust according to your preference.) For an even richer and more savory flavor, consider using water steeped with a piece of dried kelp overnight as your cooking liquid. This will further deepen the taste of your ggondre namul rice.
Step 5
Once the rice begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. After the cooking cycle is complete, turn off the heat and let the rice steam for another 5 minutes. This steaming process allows the grains to become fluffy and perfectly cooked. (Cooking times and steaming duration may vary slightly depending on the type of pot and heat source used.)
Step 6
As the rice is cooking, the comforting aroma of ggondre namul and sesame oil will fill your kitchen, making your mouth water in anticipation of the delicious meal to come.
Step 7
The freshly cooked ggondre namul rice will be glistening and look incredibly appetizing. Each grain of rice will be infused with the unique flavor of the ggondre, resulting in a truly special dish.
Step 8
Once the rice is done, use a rice paddle to gently fluff and mix the ggondre namul with the rice. Serve the rice into bowls. Pairing it with the prepared fragrant dallae sauce and mixing it all together creates a satisfying and complete meal. Enjoy a hearty feast with this wonderful ggondre rice spread!
Step 9
Now, let’s prepare the delicious dallae sauce to accompany your ggondre namul rice! Wash the fresh dallae thoroughly and chop them finely. In a bowl, combine the chopped dallae with the other sauce ingredients: regular soy sauce, cooking wine, gochugaru, and toasted sesame seeds. Mix well.
Step 10
Generously spoon the appetizing dallae sauce over the warm, freshly cooked ggondre namul rice. Feel free to adjust the amount of sauce to your liking.
Step 11
Gently mix the ggondre rice and dallae sauce with a rice paddle or spoon until well combined. The nutty fragrance of the sesame oil, the pungent aroma of the dallae, and the savory umami of the soy sauce will blend beautifully, creating an incredibly fragrant and savory seasoned rice. The moment you take a spoonful, you’ll feel transported back to Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, with its deep and rich flavors.
Step 12
Wondering what to make for dinner tonight? How about trying this homemade ggondre namul rice, which might just be even more delicious than the one you tasted in Jeongseon! Nowadays, you can easily find dried ggondre namul or even frozen ggondre rice packs, making it even more convenient to enjoy. Whether for a special occasion or just an ordinary day, create a happy mealtime with this healthy and flavorful ggondre namul rice!
