Crispy Young Radish and Crown Daisy Water Kimchi
Refreshing and Zesty! The Ultimate Recipe for Yeolmu and Eolgari Water Kimchi
Here’s a recipe for refreshing and crunchy water kimchi made with tender young radish (yeolmu) and crown daisy (eolgari), perfect from spring to summer. It’s the best side dish to revitalize your appetite during hot weather.
Kimchi Ingredients- 1 bunch young radish (approx. 2kg)
- 1 bunch crown daisy (approx. 1kg)
- 1 handful green onions (approx. 120g)
- 1 medium pear (approx. 450g)
- 150g Korean radish
- 2 handfuls garlic (approx. 80g)
- 20g ginger
- 4-5 red chilies
- 4 green chilies (adjust to taste)
- 1 medium onion (approx. 200g)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 20g dried kelp
- 2 Tbsp salted shrimp
- 2 cups coarse sea salt (for brine)
- 3 Tbsp coarse sea salt (for seasoning broth)
- 4L water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare 1 bunch each of young radish (yeolmu) and crown daisy (eolgari). To check for freshness, try snapping a stem; if it breaks easily with a ‘snap’, the radish is tender and good. Most yeolmu and eolgari available nowadays are quite tender.
Step 2
Trim any dirty parts from the young radish and cut off the very tips of the thin stems. You can remove the roots completely, but leaving them on can add a deeper flavor as they absorb seasoning.
Step 3
Remove any wilted or yellow outer leaves from the young radish.
Step 4
For the crown daisy, trim the roots and remove any wilted outer leaves.
Step 5
While you can chop the yeolmu and eolgari before salting, salting them whole and then chopping preserves more nutrients and prevents a raw ‘grassy’ flavor. This is a key tip for a great crunchy texture!
Step 6
Before salting, lightly rinse the young radish and crown daisy under running water.
Step 7
In a large bowl, dissolve 1.5 cups of coarse sea salt in 3L of water to create a brine. Tender young radish and crown daisy are best salted in a mild brine rather than directly with salt. After soaking the vegetables in the brine, sprinkle the remaining half cup of salt evenly over the top.
Step 8
After 30 minutes, flip the vegetables over. Salt for a total of about 1 hour. They are ready when the stems bend softly without breaking.
Step 9
Prepare a flour paste by boiling it with water. Mix 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour with 1L of water and bring to a boil. Using a flour paste instead of glutinous rice paste will make the water kimchi broth beautifully milky and appealing.
Step 10
In a separate pot, add 1L of water and 20g of dried kelp to make a kelp broth.
Step 11
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, immediately remove the kelp. Boiling kelp for too long can result in a bitter taste.
Step 12
Add 2 Tbsp of salted shrimp to the kelp broth (after removing the kelp) and simmer briefly. Let this mixture cool completely. Simmering the salted shrimp removes any fishy smell and adds umami.
Step 13
Rinse the well-salted young radish and crown daisy 2-3 times in cold water to remove excess salt. Gently squeeze out any excess water after rinsing.
Step 14
Now, prepare the ingredients for the broth and other vegetables. If you like it spicy, add about 4 green chilies for an extra kick. White onions can also be used.
Step 15
Cut the young radish and crown daisy into bite-sized pieces, about 4-5cm long. This makes them easy to eat with the broth.
Step 16
For the ingredients to be blended (pear, Korean radish, red chilies, garlic, ginger), chop them into manageable pieces for the blender. Cut the green onions to a similar length as the young radish, and finely chop the green chilies.
Step 17
In a blender, combine the chopped pear, Korean radish, red chilies, garlic, and ginger. Add a little of the simmered salted shrimp broth (or plain water) and blend until smooth. This will create a fine seasoning paste.
Step 18
Add the blended seasoning paste to the prepared young radish and crown daisy. Gently toss to coat and let the flavors meld.
Step 19
In a large bowl, combine the cooled flour paste and 4L of water. Add 3 Tbsp of coarse sea salt and stir well to create the broth. It’s best to season the broth lightly at first. As the kimchi ferments, the flavors will deepen, so avoid making it too salty initially. You can adjust the seasoning later with fish sauce or more salt, or add more water if needed.
Step 20
Finally, add the chopped green onions, onion, and minced green chilies, and mix gently with the broth. Transfer to a kimchi container, let it ferment at room temperature for half a day to a full day, then refrigerate. Enjoy your refreshing and delicious Yeolmu and Eolgari Water Kimchi!
