Mung bean sprout and cucumber side dish

This video was made for YouTube’s NextUp program. They asked me to make something that explains my background, my goals, and what I expect to learn from the YouTube Creator’s camp. It’s supposed to be short and reflect my interests and personality, so I chose a simple and delicious mungbean sprout side dish recipe called sukjunamul.

I learned this recipe from my mom. I called her this morning in California to get some of the background behind it, or to get any interesting story relating to the dish.

I said: “Mom, my next video recipe is sukjunamul. Where did you learn this recipe? Do you have any story relating to sukjunamul?”

My  mom replied: “Oh~, sukjunamul! When I go to a Korean buffet with my friends, I always make bibimbap with sukjujanmul, mushrooms… oh such delicious and healthy food!”

I listened to her story about her buffet choice and with whom she went, but I still didn’t get the answer!

“Mom, mom… that’s not my question! Where did you learn the recipe? Do you remember?”

My mother laughed, and said: “Oh, ho ho, ho! I don’t remember. All over Korea?”

My mom is so cute when she gets older. After hanging up the phone, I felt a little guilty for being rude. I should have been more patient and I should be nicer to her.

I always make my sukjunamul  this way. It’s a simple and easy recipe, and delicious! Just as my mom said, when it’s mixed with a few more vegetables, rice, hot pepper paste, and sesame oil, it’s even more delicious!

Ingredients

(for 2-4 servings):
Mung bean sprouts, salt, garlic, green onion, cucumber, sesame seeds, and sesame oil

Directions

1. Wash and drain 12 oz (340 grams: about 3½ cups’ worth) of mung bean sprouts in cold water a couple of times until they’re clean. Pick out any brownish rotten beans.
   
2. Put them in a pot and add ½ cup water and ¼ ts salt.
3. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat for 5 mins.
4. Rinse in cold water, strain, and set aside.
5. Cut about 1 cup’s worth of seedless cucumbers into matchsticks and put into a bowl.
6. Add ½ ts salt to the cucumbers. Mix and set aside for a few minutes.
   
7. Squeeze any excess water out of the cooked mung bean sprouts and put them into a mixing bowl.
8. Squeeze any excess water out of the cucumber strips and add them to the sprouts in the mixing bowl.
9. Add 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 chopped green onion, ½ ts salt, 1 ts sesame oil, and 1 ts sesame seeds to the mixing bowl.
10. Mix well by hand.
    
11. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with rice.