Try this one of the most popular Korean side dishes – Spicy Bellflower Root Salad! To locals, this dish is known as Doraji Muchim (도라지 무침) or Doraji Saengchae (도라지 생채).
It may be a lesser known side dish to many of you, nonetheless, it is commonly seen at a Korean’s table.
This spicy bellflower root salad is one of my favorite Korean side dishes.
It has a crunchy texture and spicy, tangy and bitter sweet flavor. Though, I will admit that it does have a bit of an acquired taste so you might not like it immediately.
But, it’s a quite easy dish to make as long as you can find the bellflower root! For this, your best bet is your local Korean grocers, not just general asian grocers.
The package looks like this one. Unless of course, if you’re in Korea, you can find fresh bellflower root easily. But fresh roots need more preparation work, so keep that in mind.
Finally, I explained about the bellflower root in more detail in my other bellflower root recipe – Doraji namul (도라지 나물). So if you’re interested in learning about this ingredient, you should check it out.
How To Serve Bellflower Root Salad
Quite simply, serve the salad with a bowl of steamed rice. You might also like to serve other Korean side dishes and Korean soups to accompany it.
Ingredients for Spicy Bellflower Root Salad (Doraji Muchim)
Main
- 170g / 6 ounces bellflower root (doraji)
- 60g / 2.1 ounces cucumber, thinly sliced, (I used English cucumber)
- 1 & 1/2 Tbsp coarse sea salt, split
- 1 tsp green onion, finely chopped
Sauce (Mix these in a small bowl)
- 2 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 & 1/2 Tbsp sugar (raw)
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce (regular)
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
*1 Tbsp = 15 ml
**If you want to learn about Korean ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean ingredients list.
How to Make Spicy Bellflower Root Salad (Doraji Muchim)
1. (Assuming you’re using dried bellflower root) Place the dried bellflower root in a large bowl and immerse in water overnight (8 to 12 hours). Drain away the water. Wash the hydrated bellflower root with 1 Tbsp coarse sea salt. (This is to minimise the bitter taste.) Drain away the water and squeeze the water out of the bellflower root. Set it aside.
2. Place the cucumber into a bowl. Add 1/2 Tbsp coarse sea salt. Mix them lightly and leave them for about 10 mins while waiting for the cucumber to release its water. Gently brush off the salt from the cucumber pieces.
3. In a clean bowl, combine the bellflower root, cucumber and the sauce. Mix them well. Garnish with green onions. Serve. It can be refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.
Spicy Bellflower Root Salad
Ingredients
- 170 g dried bellflower root (6 ounces), Korean name - doraji
- 60 g cucumber (2.1 ounces), thinly sliced, I used English cucumber
- 1 1/2 Tbsp coarse sea salt , split
- 1 tsp green onion , finely chopped
SAUCE (MIX THESE IN A SMALL BOWL)
- 2 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar (raw)
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce (regular)
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- (Assuming you’re using dried bellflower root) Place the dried bellflower root in a large bowl and immerse in water overnight (8 to 12 hours). Drain away the water. Wash the hydrated bellflower root with 1 Tbsp coarse sea salt. (This is to minimise the bitter taste.) Drain away the water and squeeze the water out of the bellflower root. Set it aside.
- Place the cucumber into a bowl. Add 1/2 Tbsp coarse sea salt. Mix them lightly and leave them for about 10 mins while waiting for the cucumber to release its water. Gently brush off the salt from the cucumber pieces.
- In a clean bowl, combine the bellflower root, cucumber and the sauce. Mix them well. Garnish with green onions. Serve. It can be refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
