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Cold Jellyfish Salad (Haepari Naengchae) with Starflower

An essential dish to any Korean party menu that can be prepared ahead of time and kept chilled in the fridge to be assembled when guests arrive. Served cold, it pairs well with rich foods like grilled meats and fried dishes. 

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4
Calories: 51 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

  • 6 oz salted jelly fish (haepari)
  • 1 English cucumber (julienned)
  • 2 carrot (small/medium, julienned)
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
Dressing
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp dry oriental mustard (add 1 Tbsp of water to make it into a paste)
  • 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice (or 2 tsp regular lemon juice)
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Korean Jellyfish usually comes in a bag, heavily salted for preservation. Rinse jellyfish with water a couple times to get rid of all the salt and let it soak in cold water for about 45 min.
  2. While the jellyfish is swimming in water, julienne cucumber. A technique that many Korean chefs use is to first peel away the outer skin and flesh part of the cucumber, omitting the seeded center. It is called “dolyeo kkaki” in Korean which means to shave in circular fashion.
  3. Julienne carrots into similar sizes.
  4. I am using pre-cooked frozen shrimp here. Just thaw and then halve the shrimps lengthwise. You are welcome to use fresh shrimp if you’d like, just cook, peel and slice similarly.
  5. Make the oriental yellow mustard paste by mixing 2 tsp dry mustard powder with 1 Tbs water.
  6. Leave it alone for 4-5 min or more for the flavor to fully develop. If you’re too lazy to make the paste, use the yellow mustard tube but be prepared to use lot more of the paste because the flavors are just not as full-bodied and strong as the powder.
  7. When the jellyfish has been in the water for over 40 min, boil some water (about 3 cups). Rinse and drain jellyfish into a steel or silicone colander (because you will be scorching the jellyfish with boiling water). Pour boiling water onto the jellyfish evenly and they will shrivel up.
  8. Be careful and DON’T COOK the jellyfish! Just SHOCK it so that the jellyfish (haepari) gets even more crunchy and less chewy. Some recipes use jellyfish without this step and it will still be OK but I think this really gives it a better texture.
  9. Season jellyfish with 2 Tbs vinegar and 1 Tbs sugar and marinade for at least 10 min. You can leave it in the fridge overnight and it will taste even better the next day. 
  10. Make dressing by mixing mustard, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and salt and set aside.
  11. Serve chilled, either all the ingredients separately and mix with dressing at the table or toss everything together and serve. 

Notes

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  • Sometimes jellyfish can smell a little bit. Add some extra lemon or even add a bit of ginger ale or sprite to the marinade to help get rid of any unwanted smell.
  • Prepare jellyfish and cucumber, carrots separately, a day ahead of any party.
  • Additional ingredients to add – cooked egg strips (jidan), imitation crab meat.
  • Add freshly chopped garlic on top and some red chili pepper oil for extra zing!

Nutrition Information

Calories 51kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Sodium 632mg (26%) Potassium 207mg (6%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 5175IU (104%) Vitamin C 5.9mg (7%) Calcium 22mg (2%) Iron 0.3mg (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 51

% Daily Value*

Calories 51kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Sodium 632mg 26%
Potassium 207mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 5175IU 104%
Vitamin C 5.9mg 7%
Calcium 22mg 2%
Iron 0.3mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.