Radish Kimchi (Kkakdugi)

Radish kimchi or kkakdugi is another classic kimchi and popular side dish just like napa cabbage kimchi. There are actually a couple different versions of kkakdugi and this is the most popular version made with diced Korean radish. Enjoy it with Korean soups like samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken soup) and seollentang (ox bone soup), but it's also commonly paired with jajangmyeon (Korean black bean noodles) and japchae (Korean glass noodle stir fry).

Prep Time10

Salting Time45

Total Time55

Ingredients

For the radish:

▢ 3 pounds Korean radish peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
▢ 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the marinade:

▢ ½ cup water
▢ 1 tablespoon rice flour regular or glutinous
▢ 10 cloves garlic peeled (about 1.5oz)
▢ 1 inch ginger peeled and cut into smaller pieces
▢ ¼ large yellow onion peeled and cut into smaller pieces
▢ ¼ large apple discard core and cut into smaller pieces *see notes for alternatives
▢ 2 tablespoons fish sauce *see notes for saeujeot (tiny brined shrimps)
▢ ½ cup gochugaru (coarse) also known as Korean red pepper flakes

Optional veggies for the radish kimchi:

▢ 1 ounce carrots peeled and julienned
▢ 1 ounce Asian chives cut into 1 inch pieces; discard about 1 to 2 inches of the tough stem at the end

Instructions

Salt the radish:

After the radish has been washed, peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes, place them into a large mixing bowl and mix with salt and sugar until evenly coated. Set aside and let the radish salt for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Midway through, give the radish a mix.
*It is very important that the radish is cut into fairly even size cubes because the size affects how long the radish will take to salt. It is inevitable that some pieces will be smaller, that is perfectly fine. Just try to keep most of the radish cubes about 1 inch.*
After 45 minutes, there will be a considerable amount of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Take a regular size cube of radish and taste it to see if it's salted enough. The radish should still have a faint, natural sweetness, but should taste just a tad too salty. If not, give the radish a mix and let it salt for another 15 to 30 minutes and taste again.

Make the marinade:

While the radish is salting, make the marinade. First, make the rice flour paste by whisking together the rice flour and water until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a pan or saucepan and cook over medium to medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the paste starts to thicken, stir constantly until a thick, slightly translucent paste forms. Set aside to cool.
In a blender, add the apple, onion, garlic cloves, ginger, and fish sauce (or saeujeot). Blend until smooth.

Finish the radish kimchi:

Once the radish is salted enough, drain the excess liquid collected at the bottom of the bowl.
To the bowl of radish, add the cooled rice paste, blended mixture, and gochugaru. If adding carrots and chives, do so now. Mix until everything is evenly coated.
Transfer the radish kimchi into sterilized glass jars or BPA free plastic kimchi containers. Make sure to pack the the radish kimchi tightly into the container, but leave about at least 1 inch of space between the top of the radish kimchi and the lid. This is to accomodate the gas and to prevent the extra liquid released by the radish in the fermentation process from overflowing. Clean off the rim of the container.
Optional: Although radish kimchi can be enjoyed freshly made just like napa cabbage kimchi, most prefer it sour and fermented. To help speed up the fermentation process, leave the radish kimchi at room temperature (like on your kitchen counter) for 24 to 48 hours before refrigerating. Keep out of direct sunlight. As it ferments, you'll see pools of liquid forming, that's totally normal. It'll take about 1 to 2 weeks for the radish to start becoming tangy.
You can enjoy the radish kimchi right after making for more refreshing, sweet radish and stronger flavored marinade. If you prefer the classic, tangy and bubbly radish kimchi, let it ferment before enjoying. The longer it ferments, the more sour it'll become.

Keywords: easy recipe, kimchi

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