Seolleongtang House Style Kkakdugi (Mixed Radish Kimchi)
How to Make Crispy and Refreshing Seolleongtang House Style Kkakdugi at Home
On a sunny day with perfect weather for laundry, I discovered some radish on my balcony that my mom had sent! I had almost forgotten about it. Just in time, as we were running out of kkakdugi, I decided to make a refreshing, sweet, and sour radish kimchi that my family loves. Let’s start making the famous Seolleongtang house-style kkakdugi, also known as ‘Seokbakji’!
Main Ingredients
- 1 large Korean radish (Mu)
For Salting the Radish
- 1.5 Tbsp coarse sea salt
- 50ml water
Mixed Radish Kimchi Seasoning
- 1/2 onion
- 1 Tbsp salted fermented shrimp (Saeujeot)
- 1.5 Tbsp cooked white rice
- 35ml soju
- 100ml Korean chili flakes (Gochugaru)
- 1.5 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2.5 Tbsp fish sauce (Aekjeot)
- 1/2 container plain yogurt
- 35ml seltzer/sparkling water (Saida)
- 1.5 Tbsp coarse sea salt
- 50ml water
Mixed Radish Kimchi Seasoning
- 1/2 onion
- 1 Tbsp salted fermented shrimp (Saeujeot)
- 1.5 Tbsp cooked white rice
- 35ml soju
- 100ml Korean chili flakes (Gochugaru)
- 1.5 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2.5 Tbsp fish sauce (Aekjeot)
- 1/2 container plain yogurt
- 35ml seltzer/sparkling water (Saida)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, thoroughly wash and prepare the Korean radish. If there’s any dirt, scrub it well with a brush.
Step 2
Cut the washed radish into bite-sized pieces. You can leave the peel on if you prefer. Don’t worry about making the pieces perfectly uniform; a more rustic, chunky cut will give you that authentic Seolleongtang house style ‘Seokbakji’ look. This rougher cut also helps the radish maintain its crispiness even after cooking.
Step 3
Prepare a saltwater brine by mixing 1.5 tablespoons of coarse sea salt with 50ml of water. Pour this brine over the cut radish pieces, ensuring they are submerged. It’s good to toss the radish occasionally to ensure even salting.
Step 4
For the seasoning base, combine 1/2 onion, 1 tablespoon of salted fermented shrimp, 1.5 tablespoons of cooked white rice, and 35ml of soju in a blender. Blend until smooth. The cooked rice and soju help add natural sweetness and umami, while also aiding in fermentation.
Step 5
Pour the blended seasoning base into a large bowl. Having this base ready makes mixing the kimchi seasoning much easier later on.
Step 6
Add the remaining kimchi seasoning ingredients to the bowl: 100ml of Korean chili flakes, 1.5 tablespoons of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2.5 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1/2 container of plain yogurt, and 35ml of seltzer. Mix everything together well. The plain yogurt adds a subtle creaminess and depth of flavor, acting as a secret ingredient!
Step 7
Check if the radish is properly salted. It’s ready when you can bend a piece into a ‘C’ shape. The salting time may vary depending on the thickness of the radish, so keep an eye on it. Lightly rinse the salted radish under running water and drain well. Avoid rinsing too thoroughly, as it can make the kimchi taste bland.
Step 8
Add the well-drained radish to the prepared Seokbakji seasoning. It’s important to ensure the seasoning coats all the radish pieces evenly.
Step 9
Gently mix the radish and seasoning with your hands, ensuring every piece is well-coated. This thorough mixing is key to delicious kkakdugi. Once mixed, transfer the Seokbakji to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. While it’s delicious right away, letting it ferment for a day or two will enhance its flavor even further.
