Pot Rice with Dropwort(Minari)

….I was able to buy fresh dropwort at a Korean market. As soon as I saw the tender and fragrant dropwort, I felt so happy that spring had arrived. Dropwort, which means “vegetable grown in water,” is a robust spring vegetable. I remember seeing dropwort growing along the edges of rice paddies in Korea in the past. My mother used to make a side dish with blanched dropwort, lightly seasoned with salt and spices, saying that it helped with liver function. It was often seen on my father’s table in the spring, but as a child, I didn’t like its unique smell, so I didn’t enjoy it. I was also surprised to see that sometimes the roots of dropwort had leeches attached to them. Nevertheless, fiber is naturally a rich and healthy ingredient. However, today, I felt a little disappointed because the dropwort I bought didn’t have a strong scent. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate how each unique vegetable’s aroma adds a new flavor. Dropwort with a strong aroma is often used in spicy soups or salads. Spring dropwort has been known to be most nutritious after enduring the cold winter. It’s rare to see dropwort blooming white flowers in the summer. Today, I tried making pot rice with dropwort stems, but the scent I was expecting vanished the moment I opened the pot. Despite the lack of aroma, I enjoyed scraping the bottom of the pot and having dinner. It was nice to be able to bring our fragrant indigenous vegetable, dropwort, to the table.

Servings: 3

Time: 40 minutes plus 30 minutes to soak rice in a strainer after cleaning with cold water

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups white rice, soak rice in a strainer after cleaning with cold water
2. 400 ml first soup (katsuobushi broth)
3. 150 g of dropwort, cut into 2-inch pieces
4. 1 tbsp gukganjang
5. 1 tbsp mirin
6. 2 tbsp sesame oil
7. 300 g of beef short ribs, julienned

For marinated beef short ribs:

1. 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
2. 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
3. 1 tbsp mirin
4. 1/2 tbsp plum extract
5. 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
6. 1 tbsp muscovado sugar
7. black pepper to taste
8. 1 tbsp green onion, minced
9. 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

For seasoning sauce:

1. 1 tbsp soy sauce
2. 1 tbsp sugar
3. 1 tbsp chili powder
4. 1 tbsp sesame oil
5. 1 tbsp sesame seeds
6. 2 tbsp water

….all mixed well

Cooking Instructions:

1. Combine the soy sauce, muscovado sugar, plum extract, mirin, garlic, black pepper, green onion, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix well. Marinate the beef short ribs in the mixed sauce.

2. Heat a pot with medium-high heat and 1 tbsp sesame oil to the pot.

3. Stir-fry the marinated beef short ribs in the pot until cooked, then set them aside.

4. Put 1 tbsp sesame oil and white rice in the same pot and stir for 1 minute.

5. Add the katsuobushi broth, mirin, and gukganjang to the pot, then boil until the broth reduces.

5. Reduce the heat to very low (induction level #3) and continue cooking covered for 15 minutes.

6. After 15 minutes, place the cooked beef short ribs and dropwort on top of the rice, then let it cook for an additional 5 minutes with the lid on.

7. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and let it sit for 5–10 minutes. Then, mix the rice, meat, and water dropwort slightly, and serve with seasoned soy sauce.

You can also view this recipe on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5oE2k_rFZ7/?img_index=4