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Korean

Kkakdugi (radish cube kimchi)

Radish cubes take a long soak in sweetened salt water, then get tossed in a chili-red seasoning paste. Made your way: coarse salt, garlic, ginger and pear grated on a ceramic grater, and the pear and ginger juice squeezed out through cheesecloth. See also the cabbage kimchi.

4 servings~30 min work + 5 h soaking + 5–7 days in the fridge
Kkakdugi (radish cube kimchi)

Mise en place — set out in the order it goes in

  1. Brine
    Brine
    • water
    • coarse salt
    • sugar
    Step 1
  2. Radish cubes
    Radish cubes3 cm, soaked and drainedStep 4
  3. Green onions
    Green onions2 cm lengthsStep 4
  4. Filling
    Filling
    • chili powder
    • sauces
    • stock
    • juices
    • garlic
    Step 4

Prep order — what happens when, and what overlaps

minutes
01020304050607080
Make the brine 3 min
Cube the radish 10 min
10 min
Soak in brine (~5 h) 40 min
40 min
Cut green onions 4 min
Grate + squeeze, make filling 12 min
12 min
Drain, mix 6 min
Fridge (5–7 days) 20 min
20 min
Bowl / counterBoardHands-off

The soak bar stands for about 5 hours; the fridge bar keeps going for 5–7 days.

Step by step

  1. Peel the radish, then cut it into 3 cm thick slabs.
    Peel the radish, then cut it into 3 cm thick slabs.
    Cut the slabs into 3 cm sticks, then across into 3 cm cubes.
    Cut the slabs into 3 cm sticks, then across into 3 cm cubes.
    Soak the cubes in the brine for about 5 hours.
    Soak the cubes in the brine for about 5 hours.
    Then drain them in a colander.
    Then drain them in a colander.

    1Cube and soak the radish

    ~15 min + 5 h

    For this step

    • Korean radish (mu) or daikon1 kg
    • Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve:
      • water 600 ml
      • coarse (kosher) salt 50 ml
      • sugar 3 tbsp
    • Peel the radish and cut it into 3 cm cubes.
    • Leave the cubes in the brine for around 5 hours, then tip them into a colander.
    Cube and soak the radish
    Should look like this
  2. Cut the green onions about 2 cm long.
    Cut the green onions about 2 cm long.

    2Cut the green onions

    ~3 min

    For this step

    • Green onions (or chives)100 g

    Chop the green onions into short 2 cm pieces.

    Cut the green onions
    Should look like this
  3. Grate the garlic, ginger and pear on a ceramic grater.
    Grate the garlic, ginger and pear on a ceramic grater.
    Squeeze the grated pear and ginger through cheesecloth — the juice is what you want.
    Squeeze the grated pear and ginger through cheesecloth — the juice is what you want.
    Mix the chili powder, sauces, kelp stock, juices and garlic into a thick red paste.
    Mix the chili powder, sauces, kelp stock, juices and garlic into a thick red paste.

    3Make the filling

    ~12 min
    • Grate the garlic, ginger and pear on the ceramic grater (or a fine metal one).
    • Squeeze the grated pear and the grated ginger through cheesecloth — the juice is what you want.
    • Mix into a thick red paste:
      • crushed garlic 2 tbsp
      • ginger juice 2 tsp
      • salted anchovy sauce (or fish sauce) 4 tbsp
      • Korean chili powder (gochugaru) 5 tbsp
      • pear juice 4 tbsp
      • salted shrimp sauce, chopped (or fish sauce) 1 tbsp
      • kelp (kombu) stock 4 tbsp
    Make the filling
    Should look like this
  4. Mix the drained cubes with the filling and green onions — gloves on.
    Mix the drained cubes with the filling and green onions — gloves on.

    4Mix

    ~5 min
    • Tip the drained cubes into the paste with the green onions and toss until each cube is red all over.
    • Gloves help — the chili stains.
    Mix
    Should look like this
  5. Pack into an airtight container and refrigerate 5–7 days before serving.
    Pack into an airtight container and refrigerate 5–7 days before serving.

    5Into the fridge

    5–7 days
    • Pack it into a container with a tight lid and let it ferment in the fridge for 5–7 days before you eat it.
    • Around 5 °C is the ideal fridge temperature for kimchi.
    Into the fridge
    Should look like this