Tangpyeongchae is a dish made of jellied mung beans, sprouts, beef, watercress and eggs. It is sweet and sour in taste, rich in nutrition and harmonized with colors from the meat and vegetables. The name “tangpyeongchae” came about when the dish appeared on the table for the first time during discussions of tangpeongchaek (unbiased policy) in the Yeongjo era of the Joseon Dynasty.

Ingredients

● 300 g mung bean jelly, 3 cups water (seasoning: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sesame oil)

● 100 g beef (seasoning: 2/3 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp minced green onion, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp sesame salt, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame oil)

● 100 g mung bean sprouts, 50g watercress, 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp salt

● 1/4 ea red pepper, 1 sheet laver

● 1 egg, 1 tsp edible oil

● vinegar soy sauce: 2/3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame salt


1. Shred mung bean jelly into 7 cm-long and 0.5 cm-thick strips.

2. Clean the beef, shred into 5 cm-long and 0.3 cm-thick strips, mix with seasoning sauce (100 g).

3. Remove the heads and tails of the mung bean sprouts. Trim watercress stalks and wash under running water. Shred red pepper into 3 cm-long pieces.
4. Panfry egg for yellow/white garnish, and cut into 4 cm-long and 0.3 cm-wide pieces.

5. Blend vinegar soy sauce.

6. Put water into a pot, heat it up for 3 minutes on high heat. When it boils, boil mung bean jelly for 1 minute (250 g), take out the jelly from the pot and drain water. Mix with seasoning.

7. When the frying pan is heated, put in the beef and pan-fry for 2 minutes on medium heat.

8. Pour water in the pot and heat it up for 2 minutes on high heat. When it boils, boil mung bean sprouts with salt for 2 minutes. Boil watercress for 1 minute and rinse in water, cut into 4 cm-long pieces.

9. Toast laver for 1 minute on low heat and crush up.

10. Mix mung bean jelly with beef, mung bean sprouts, watercress and vinegar soy sauce. Garnish with red pepper, laver and egg garnish.

Tips

● Thinly shred mung bean jelly may serve different taste.

● Mix the salad just before serving; it’s not to be watery.

● A small vinegar soy sauce bowl may be served with the main dish, instead of mixing with jelly.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)