Dotori Mook – 도토리 묵 (Acorn Jelly in soy dressing)
Dotori Mook – 도토리 묵 is a jelly made from cooking dried acorn powder with water and then letting it cool to become like jello but firmer. Koreans slice this into thick squares and enjoy it drizzled with spicy soy sauce. The flavor of the jelly is quite mild with hints of nutty and earthy flavor with a very slight astringent taste at the end.
This wonderful Dotori (Acorn) Mook (Jelly) is a classic everyday Korean side dish and it is something I kind of re-discovered last winter during my visit to Korea. I have had it so many times at different restaurants or bought it from the stores and have just gotten used to the so-so taste of it.
Acorn jelly is notoriously hard to pick up with your chopsticks – even among Koreans. I remember when I was little, adults would scare the kids by saying that either they learn to use the chopsticks the ‘right’ way and be able to eat things like noodles and mook without difficulty or that they would have to embarrass themselves and resort to using a spoon or maybe a spork (spoon + fork) even as an adult!
And Don’t Forget # Lifes is delicious, so let’s Taste it.!!!!!
For more Healthy, Delicious & Easy Recipes
Ingredients
- 100 g dried acorn powder (dotori-mook-도토리-묵) (100% acorn flour should be gluten-free - 100g is about 3/4 cup)
- 4.5 cup water
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- Sauce 1 (less sweet and classic)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp water (or anchovy stock)
- 2 tsp Korean red chili powder (gochukaru)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 green onions (chopped)
- Sauce 2 (sweeter, tangy, and spicy) - great with more veggies
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce (jin ganjang (sempio or kikkoman))
- 1.5 Tbsp Korean red chili powder
- 1.5 tsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp cooking sake (rice wine or mirin)
- 1.5 tsp sesame oil
- 0.75 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Measure acorn jelly (Dotori Mook - 도토리 묵 ) powder in a bowl and add cold water. Mix well.
- Add salt and mix again.
- Transfer the acorn mixture into a pot and turn on the heat to medium. Stir occasionally for the first 3-4 minutes to make sure it heats evenly. At about 4 min, you will see tiny bits of gelatin forming and the mixture starts to thicken. Stir now continuously for another 4 min (total 8-9 min) or so while it becomes thick and peaks are formed (much like whipped cream) and holds shape.
- Add oil and cook for another 1 minute. Keep stirring so oil is all mixed in. Oil is not a must but it makes it more smooth and soft tasting. Don’t stop right away after it forms peaks, make sure you cook 9-10 min in total or more to ensure it’s fully cooked. See video.
- Prepare a rectangular glass container or a baking pan (8″x 5″ x 2(H)” works for my basic 4 servings recipe).
- Transfer the cooked, hot Dotori Mook - 도토리 묵 mixture from the pot onto the container in 3. Jiggle the container a bit to evenly spread the mix. With a spatula smooth out the top as much as you can.
- Loosely cover the mook with a wrap or parchment paper. Cool for 5 hrs or overnight until it’s firm and bounces back when touched. It should be firmer than jello. The longer you cool, the firmer it will get up to a certain point of course. If the temperature is warm where you are, you can also let it cool in the fridge but it’s better not to if you can.
- While it’s cooling, make Yangnyeomjang sauce.
- For Sauce 1 – In a bowl, add soy sauce, water or anchovy broth, Korean red chili pepper powder, sesame seeds, sugar, sesame oil, chopped green onions
- When the mook is firm, loosen it by tilting the container to one side, the opposite side should start to come away from the walls. When you have done this with all 4 sides, place a plate or cutting board on top and turn it over (like how you do with baked cakes when you want to get it out of the pan). And VOILA! You should have the mook on your cutting board now.
Notes
Check water: acorn powder ratio from the Dotorimuk powder package that you have. The ratio varies. Just from 3 different packages (actually one is homemade by my mother-in-law's friend), the ratio ranges from 6:1 to 4.5:1. So it may be a bit of a test and see for some of you. When cooking, keep watch and keep stirring to avoid lumps and from the bottom burning. It will start to thicken suddenly so don't walk away! Cool completely until it's completely firm (4-5 hrs to overnight) - it should jiggle but firmer than jello. If room temp is too warm, it may be safer to cool in the fridge although it's not the best way. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days and can be eaten cold right out of the fridge!