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1
Cook the rice in a heavy clay pot or thick-walled steel pot by your standard method until steaming is complete and the grains are fully tender. Do not use a thin-bottomed pan, because uneven heat distribution produces scattered burned patches rather than the uniform golden crust that nurungji demands.
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2
With the lid still on, raise the heat to medium and hold for 3 to 5 minutes, keeping the lid in place so trapped steam continues to soften any remaining moisture at the surface while the base dries and firms. Listen closely: a faint crackling from beneath the rice signals that a crust is forming and the Maillard reaction is active at the base of the pot — that sound is the target.
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3
Track the aroma continuously, because the smell transitions from plain, neutral steam to a nutty, toasted quality with little warning — this is where the dish lives or dies, as the margin between nurungji and bitter, acrid burned rice is one to two minutes and the nutty aroma turns acrid with no interval between them. Remove the pot from the heat the instant that toasted smell presents itself.
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4
Remove the lid and inspect the base: the crust should be an even, golden layer adhering firmly to the pot bottom, snapping cleanly under light pressure to confirm it has dried and set all the way through. Lift portions free with a wide spatula and serve as a crackling snack.
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5
To make sungnyung (숭늉), pour enough water over the nurungji still in the hot pot to cover the crust, replace the lid, and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes so the caramelised sugars loosen from the pot and dissolve fully into the water. The liquid is ready when it carries a gentle amber tint and a clean toasted flavour.