Bean Sprouts Cold Dish with Spicy Fermented Bean Paste 涼拌豆芽

Such a simple cold dish, and the cost is minimum. It's not some sort of pickled cold dish, but rather seasoned with heavier tasting ingredients like grated garlic and Chinese spicy fermented bean paste (辣豆瓣醬), which can be quite addicting.

As for bean sprouts, you can find the precut version with the roots already removed. However, the nice looking bean sprouts are not always available. In that case, simply use the regular version and pick out the roots yourself. It can take up some time, but the efforts ensure a cleaner bite in the end.

Bean sprouts cold dish with spicy fermented bean paste 涼拌豆芽 -

Ingredients?

• 200 grams bean sprouts
• Small pinch toasted white sesame seeds

Sauce:

• 1 small garlic clove, peeled and grated
• 1 tablespoon triple-condensed Japanese tsuyu
• 1 teaspoon black vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese spicy fermented bean paste 辣豆瓣醬
• 1/4 teaspoon black sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

How?

Found a pack of fancy bean sprouts imported from Japan, supposedly contains more water inside, providing an crispy clean crunch to the bite. 

Pick out the bean sprouts roots if any. I've included a before and after image below.

Once done with all the bean sprouts, rinse, drain, and pat dry.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add in prepped bean sprouts and cook for about 3 minutes. Keep the water at a light boil after adding the bean sprouts. Once ready, drain and wait till the bean sprouts cool down.

Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients under the "sauce" section. Make sure the sugar has been fully dissolved.

Pour the sauce over bean sprouts, mix till fully blended. Plate and garnish with toasted white sesame seeds.

I love to serve this cold dish alongside something heavy or spicy, like curry, miso katsu, or pork stew. Even though I've added grated garlic and spicy fermented bean paste, but just a light touch, the refreshing crunch is still the main character here. 

This cold bean sprouts can be stored in the fridge up to days. In fact, it's even more refreshing when served on the colder side.

Another cold appetizer recipe:

• Mozuku cucumber