Eggplant sidedish

Gaji namul is a basic, everyday Korean vegetable side dish. I remember what my grandmother told my aunts about gaji-namul. She said, “gaji-namul should always be mixed with lots of crushed garlic and sesame oil to make it really delicious!”  Since I heard it, I have always used garlic generously in my gaji-namul.

Ingredients: 

3 medium sized Asian eggplant, 2½ tbs soy sauce, 1 chopped green onion, 2 cloves of garlic, ½ tbs of roasted sesame seeds, ½ tbs of sesame oil, 1 ts of hot pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Cut 3 medium sized Asian eggplants into 2 or 3 pieces. Then cut each piece in half lengthwise
2. Pour 2 cups of water into a steamer, and place the pieces of eggplant inside. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes over high heat.
3. Turn  the heat off and move the cooked eggplant to a bowl. Set it aside to cool down.
   
4. After the eggplant has cooled, drain the liquid from the bottom of the bowl.
5. Tear each piece of eggplant lengthwise with your fingers, and put the strips into a large bowl.
6. Add these seasonings to the bowl: 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 ts of hot pepper flakes, 1 chopped green onion, ½ tbs sesame seeds, 2½ tbs soy sauce, and ½ tbs sesame oil.

1. Mix it all together with your hand.

Serve with rice as a side dish.