Stir-fried Butterbur Stems
This banchan (반찬) features butterbur stems with their unique fragrant flavor, stir-fried with a savory perilla seed powder seasoning.
📝 Editor's Notes
Lettuce and Chicory Geotjeori (겉절이) is a Korean-style salad where the crispness of fresh vegetables harmonizes with a spicy and tangy dressing.
It's easy to make without cooking, making it approachable for beginner cooks.
It's especially great when you want to add a refreshing and clean taste to your meal, and it balances rich meat dishes or oily foods, making them even more enjoyable.
Preparing it with seasonal vegetables from spring to summer offers a fresher and richer flavor.
It's a quick and healthy option for busy individuals.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
For fresh lettuce and chicory, choose leaves that are not wilted, have vibrant color, and feel firm to the touch.
For lettuce, using younger leaves that are not too large or thick will provide a more tender texture.
Chicory can be bitter, so it's better to choose leaves with a lighter color rather than dark green.
Select firm onions with glossy skins, and carrots with smooth surfaces and bright colors.
It's no exaggeration to say that choosing good ingredients accounts for 80% of Geotjeori's (겉절이) flavor.
🔄 Substitution Guide
The lettuce and chicory in this recipe can be substituted with ssam (쌈) vegetables or other leafy greens.
For example, using kale or romaine lettuce can provide a similar texture and nutrition.
However, kale can be more bitter, so it's best to blanch it or mix it with other vegetables.
If red chili pepper is unavailable, you can finely chop cheongyang chili pepper (청양고추) or slightly increase the amount of gochugaru (고춧가루) to adjust the spiciness.
Instead of myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) (fish sauce), you can use tuna fish sauce or sand lance fish sauce.
For a cleaner taste, try gukganjang (국간장) (Korean soy sauce for soup), though the unique umami of myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) might be slightly less prominent.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
The key to this Geotjeori (겉절이) is completely removing moisture from the vegetables and timing the dressing.
First, after washing the lettuce and chicory, be sure to use a salad spinner or pat them dry with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
If moisture remains, the dressing will become watery, and the vegetables will wilt quickly.
Next, while the dressing can be prepared in advance and allowed to mature for a deeper flavor, the vegetables should be mixed with the dressing right before serving to maintain their crisp texture.
While layering them as in step 5 of the original recipe is an option, if you plan to eat it immediately, gently toss all the vegetables together.
The trick is to mix gently, as strong handling can bruise the vegetables.
👨🍳 Directions
Boil butterbur stems in salted boiling water. Rinse the boiled stems in cold water and peel off the outer skin.
Cut the peeled butterbur stems and red chili pepper into bite-sized pieces.
Add 1 tbsp of fish sauce to the butterbur stems and red chili pepper, mix well by hand, and let marinate for about 10 minutes.
Heat cooking oil in a pan, sauté minced garlic, then add the butterbur stems.
Dissolve 3 tbsp of perilla seed powder in water (or broth), then pour it into the pan with the sautéed ingredients.
Season with salt to taste.
Once the liquid has reduced, add sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.
Serve in a dish and enjoy.
📦 Storage & Reuse
Store the prepared Geotjeori (겉절이) in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
However, since the vegetables will wilt as they marinate in the dressing, it's best to consume it as soon as possible.
It is recommended to eat it within 2-3 days, as its crispness may diminish and water may form over time.
For any leftover lettuce and chicory, wrap them unwashed in a paper towel and store them in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator's vegetable drawer to keep them fresh longer.
Leftover Geotjeori (겉절이) can be repurposed the next day as an ingredient for bibimbap (비빔밥) or mixed with rice and sesame oil for another delicious treat.
🥢 Who This Is For
Lettuce and Chicory Geotjeori (겉절이) pairs exceptionally well with meat dishes such as samgyeopsal (삼겹살) (grilled pork belly) or sogalbi (소갈비) (beef short ribs).
It cuts through the richness of the meat and refreshes your palate, making you want to eat more and more.
It's also excellent served over bibimbap (비빔밥) or as a simple meal with plain multi-grain rice.
It's highly recommended for days when you lack appetite or desire a light dinner.
It can also be a healthy and delicious option for those who prefer a vegetable-centric diet or are on a diet.
🔥 Nutrition Info
One serving of Lettuce and Chicory Geotjeori (겉절이) (approx.
100g) is estimated to be very low in calories, around 70-90 kcal.
It is estimated to contain about 2-3g of protein, 3-4g of fat, and 8-10g of carbohydrates.
This Geotjeori (겉절이), in particular, uses vitamin A, C, and K-rich lettuce and chicory as main ingredients, which can help boost immunity and provide antioxidant benefits.
Chicory is rich in inulin, a dietary fiber beneficial for gut health, and lettuce contains lactucin, which aids in nerve stability.
With various functional ingredients like allicin from garlic and capsaicin from gochugaru (고춧가루), it's a highly nutritious banchan (반찬) that offers many health benefits.
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