Easy Radish Kimchi - traditional
Easy 6 ingredient Radish Kimchi based on a traditional recipe that has been around for generations in the southern part of South Korea. So delicious yet so simple.
- Prep time
- 3 hr
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 lb large Korean radish ((each radish approx. 1 lb x 2 = 2 lb / 907 g total))
- 5 cups water ((spring water))
- 7 Tbsp coarse Korean sea salt ((with bittern removed, 7 Tbsp = 1/3 Cup + 2 Tbsp = 109 ml))
- 4 Tbsp Korean red chili powder ((Gochukaru – adjust to taste))
- 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
- 4 Tbsp Korean fermented anchovy sauce ((멸치액젓 myeolchi aekjeot, or fish sauce))
- 10 Tbsp water ((10 Tbsp = 1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp = 148 ml))
- 1 Tbsp sweet rice flour ((Mochiko flour))
Instructions
- 1
Rinse radish under water and cut into 2 1/2 inch (6cm) chunks. Do NOT peel.
- 2
Turn each radish chunk 90° and cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick slices.
- 3
Make brine by mixing 5 cups lukewarm water (use cold water in summer) and 7 Tbs sea salt.
- 4
Pickle radish in brine for 3 hrs. Turn over once to make sure the everything gets brined evenly.
- 5
Make sweet rice flour paste my mixing 1 T sweet rice flour and 10 Tbs water and bring to boil. Simmer for 7-8 min while stirring often. A whisk works well. Let it cool.
- 6
Make seasoning by adding remaining seasoning (red chili powder, garlic, ginger, myeolchi aekjeot) to cooled rice flour paste. Mix it well.
- 7
When radish is fully pickled, drain radish until there’s no additional liquid.
- 8
In a bowl, add radish and kimchi seasoning mix. Use plastic gloves (your hands may sting later if you use your bare hands) to mix everything well so that each radish piece gets nicely coated with the red stuff.
- 9
That’s it!! Get a glass jar or plastic container large enough (leave some extra room on top for expansion) and put radish kimchi into it. Try to leave as little air pockets as possible. It will look like there’s not enough liquid but if your radish is fresh and juicy, you enough liquid will form in a couple days.
- 10
Leave out at room temp for 2 – 3 days (shorter in summer) until it is just about ripe.