Crisp and Refreshing Young Radish Water Kimchi
Ultimate Recipe for Chilled Young Radish Water Kimchi with a Hint of Cider
Bring home two bunches of fresh young radishes from the market at a great price and make this refreshing and clean-tasting water kimchi! You can blanch the leaves separately for soup and use only the stems to create a water kimchi with a delightful crunch and invigorating coolness. Adding cider makes the broth even cleaner and more refreshing. Enjoy!
Ingredients- 2 bunches young radish
- 1/2 cup coarse sea salt (for salting)
- 1/2 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup water (for rice paste)
- 1/2 cup gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1/3 cup fish sauce
- 1.5 Tbsp dried shrimp paste (solids)
- 100ml pear juice
- 10 cloves garlic (approx. 2 Tbsp minced garlic)
- 1 inch ginger (approx. 1 tsp minced ginger)
- 1/2 cup plum extract
- 500ml water
- 500ml cider (or clear soda)
- 2 pinches salt (for seasoning)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, trim and clean the young radishes. Remove any yellow or wilted leaves, and thoroughly wash off any dirt from the root ends under running water. Place the prepared young radishes in a bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of coarse sea salt. Let them salt for about 1 hour, flipping them halfway through to ensure even salting.
Step 2
Rinse the salted young radishes thoroughly under cold running water two to three times to remove excess salt. Place them in a colander to drain well.
Step 3
Now, let’s make the delicious kimchi paste. In a blender, combine 1/2 cup of cooked rice and 1 cup of water. Blend until smooth to create a rice paste. Add all the remaining seasoning ingredients except the gochugaru (fish sauce, dried shrimp paste solids, pear juice, minced garlic, minced ginger, plum extract) and blend together. (Tip: If you prefer a chewier texture from the radish stems, you can add only the stems to the blender and blanch the leaves separately for soup.)
Step 4
Add the gochugaru to the blended paste and let it soak for a few minutes. Once the paste has softened, place the drained young radishes in a bowl. Gently toss them with the seasoning paste, ensuring an even coating. Be careful not to overmix, as this can result in a raw flavor.
Step 5
Transfer the coated young radishes into a kimchi container. Pour 500ml of water into the bowl used for the paste to rinse out any remaining seasoning. Add two pinches of salt to this liquid, mix well, and pour it into the kimchi container. This step adds extra broth for a more flavorful kimchi.
Step 6
Finally, pour in one 500ml bottle of cider for extra fizziness and refreshment. The cider helps keep the broth clear while adding a delightful sweet and cool flavor. Close the lid tightly. Let it sit at room temperature for about a day to ferment slightly, then store it in the kimchi refrigerator to chill before serving.
