Budget-friendly, quick to make, and delicious, these Korean side dishes called Namul are the winners of meal prep in Japan. Almost every Japanese meal prep cookbook and online recipes include Namul, and that tells how popular they are in Japan. I personally love these seasoned side dishes because they are the best way to include vegetables in your everyday meal. They are also fresh tasting with a slight crunch and incredibly aromatic from the fragrant sesame oil. Today I’m featuring two most familiar namul recipes you often see on the table: Spinach Namul and Bean Sprout Namul.
What is Namul?
Namul (나물) refers to a wide variety of Korean side dishes. The most common namul is made of blanched vegetables that are seasoned with salt, sesame oil, soy sauce, doenjang, gochujang, etc. In a typical Korean meal, you often see them being served together as part of a colorful array of sides, Banchan (반찬), that complement the main meal, or as a component of Bibimbap (Korean mixed rice). In Japan, we call it Namuru (ナムル), a more direct translation of the original dish in Korea, but pronounce in the Japanese way. We call Spinach Namul “Horenso no Namuru” (ほうれん草のナムル) and Bean Sprout Namul “Moyashi no Namuru” (もやしのナムル).
All You Need for Namul is Just 4 Ingredients!
The reason why I love Namul so much is that it includes ONLY 4 ingredients to make a simple side dish:
Sesame oil Salt Garlic Vegetables (spinach/ bean sprouts)
Not to mention, it’s SUPER easy to make. Just blanch the vegetables, and mix with seasonings. And imagine all the possibilities with different choices of vegetables!
Preparing Namul for Your Meal Prep
With the rise of Korean influence in Japanese cooking, these side dishes became popular very quickly in our daily meals. When home cooks started to do meal prep more often in recent years, all kinds of Namuru (Namul) appear regularly as Jobisai (常備菜), the Japanese meal prep dishes. Both the Spinach Namul and Bean Sprouts Namul can be cooked in a big batch for later use throughout your week or bento menu. If you cook them on the same day, you can certainly save time by using the same pot. Once they are cooked, set aside the portions you need and keep them in separate containers before you store them in the refrigerator. They can be kept well for up to 3-4 days. You can serve both namul dishes alongside each other to complement a bento lunch or with other sides you prefer.
More recipes for Japanese Meal Prep (Jobisai 常備菜):
Bean Sprout Salad (Namul); prepared with the same method but with slightly different seasonings. Japanese Spinach Salad Seafood Salad Ramen Egg
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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