Mung Bean Jelly Recipe - Korean Savory Jello

By
Naomi Imatome-Yun
Naomi Imatome-Yun
Asian food expert Naomi Imatome-Yun is a freelance writer and the author of four Asian food cookbooks.
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Updated on 06/30/21
Green-bean-jelly-muk.

The Spruce / Robyn Lee

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Set time: 3 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
62 Calories
4g Fat
5g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 62
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1422mg 62%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 159mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

If you've never had muk (or mook, nokdumuk) before, then it's a little bit hard to imagine. Muk is the consistency and look of American jello, but it is not sweet at all. It has very little flavor itself and takes on whatever sauce you pour on it or serve it with. In Korean cuisine, it's usually a flavor-filled soy-based sauce.

Muk is made of bean powder, and it can be described as green bean jelly, mung bean jelly, or mung bean starch on a package or in a store. You can buy green bean powder in any Korean grocery store, and will also probably find it many general Asian grocery stores in the states.

Ingredients

For the Korean Savory Jello:

  • 1/4 cup mung bean powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • 2 scallions, minced

  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon kochukaru (chile pepper powder)

  • 1 (5-gram) package roasted seaweed laver (gim), shredded or cut into thin strips

Steps to Make It

  1. Combine the 1/4 cup mung bean starch powder with 1 3/4 cups of water in a soup pot.

  2. Heat up over high heat to boiling, stirring from time to time with a whisk.

  3. Reduce heat to medium-high heat as soon as it starts to bubble, and cook for another 15 minutes.

  4. The muk is ready to be taken off the heat when it has thickened and is bubbly.

  5. Pour the jelly into a baking pan or casserole dish.

  6. After it has cooled down to room temperature, transfer the pan or dish into the refrigerator so that it can set.

  7. In 2 to 3 hours, it will solidify into the consistency and bounciness of jello.

  8. Remove from the refrigerator and cut muk into rectangles, squares, or thin strips.

  9. In a mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and pour generously over a plate of sliced bean jello.