Korean Radish Kimchi (kkakdugi) Recipe
Kkadugi or Korean radish kimchi is a popular traditional Korean dish. It’s sweet, spicy, and tangy in one bite! Try the recipe
I recommend reviewing the tips and recipe before getting started on making kkakdugi 🙂
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Tips
Storage
- Use a clean and air-tight glass container or kimchi storage bins
- Leave a few inches of space for the air to expand while fermenting; otherwise, it may burst in your fridge
- After letting the kimchi sit at room temperature for 1-2 days of making it, store it in the refrigerator.
- Press down the kimchi so it submerges into the brine. Especially after scooping some out to serve. If kimchi is dry, it may spoil.
- Can keep kimchi in the fridge for up to a year as long as it doesn’t smell and/or look spoiled, kimchi isn’t slimy, and no detection of mold
Fermentation
- Leave it out at room temperature away from the sun for 1-2 days and then store it in the fridge for up to a year. On warmer days, leave it out for 1 day, and on colder days, leave it out for 2 days.
- The longer you let it ferment, the more pungent and flavorful it will be. I let radish kimchi ferment in the refrigerator for 1 month, minimum before trying it.
Smell and Taste
- Smell: Your refrigerator will smell from the fermentation. There’s no remedy for this. Enjoy the process.
- Since the radish will release more liquid during fermentation, don’t be alarmed if your marinade tastes extra salty and flavorful while making it. It will be diluted from the radish liquid.
- People have their preferences in how they want kkakdugi to taste. Taste the marinade and add more ingredients if needed. You want it to taste a bit saltier than usual as it will be diluted from radish liquid while fermenting.
Korean Radish Kimchi (Kkakdugi)
A popular form of kimchi made from radish cubes
Ingredients
- 5-6 lbs Korean radish (or 3 large Korean radishes) Looks for the ones with more green than white for sweeter taste
Brining (no water needed)
- 1/3 cup kosher salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
Marinade (blend)
- 10-18 garlic cloves
- 10-15 grams ginger about the length of a thumb
- 1/2 a large onion, peeled and rougly chopped
- 1 Fuji apple or Asian pear, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup shrimp krill
- 1/4 cup maesil cheong or Korean plum syrup found at Korean grocery stores in syrup aisle
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp (optional) water add more if needed to help blend
Marinade (mix)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 cup gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) You will have to see on the packaging if it's flakes or powder – The bags usually don't specify it
Rice flour paste
- 1 cup water or boil 1 1/4 cups of water with 3g of dried kelp to make a broth. Still use 1 cup of the broth when making the paste
- 2 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 1/4 cup (optional) short/medium grain white rice If you don't have glutonious rice flour
- 3 tbsp (optional) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Rinse, peel, and chop radish into bite-sized cubes5-6 lbs Korean radish (or 3 large Korean radishes)
Brine
- Add the chopped radishes and mix with salt and sugar.1/3 cup kosher salt, 3 tbsp sugar
- Brine for 40 minutes at room temperature. Liquid from radish will release.
Rice flour paste
- In a small pan, mix water with rice flour and THEN turn on the stove to medium-low1 cup water, 2 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- Optional: If using kelp broth… Add 3 square or 3g of dried kelp onto a pan. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Make the paste when the broth is room temperature. Otherwise, the paste will cook quickly.
- Optional: If you don't have rice flour, rinse and drain white rice 3 times. Shake off remaining water. Lay it on dry paper towel and pat it dry with another paper towel. Lay it out to dry for about an hour. Then blend it until it's fine powder.1/4 cup (optional) short/medium grain white rice
- Optional: If using AP-flour, combine flour and water in a cup or bowl. Stir well until no clumps and then pour it on the pan to make the paste.3 tbsp (optional) all-purpose flour
- Continuously stir water/broth and flour on medium-low heat until you can see the bottom of the pan. It'll thicken in about 4-5 minutes. It may thicken faster if using warm kelp broth. Don't walk away from it!
- Turn off the pan and set it aside to cool completely
To make the kkakdugi
- After brining, strain out the liquid from the radish and lightly rinse with cold water to remove the extra saltiness.
- Strain it to remove excess water
Marinade
- In a food blender, add garlic, onion, apple and/or Asian pear, ginger, fish sauce, maesil cheong, and shrimp krill. Blend until smooth. Add a tbsp (or more) of water if needed to help blend10-18 garlic cloves, 10-15 grams ginger, 1/2 a large onion, peeled and rougly chopped, 1 Fuji apple or Asian pear, peeled and roughly chopped, 1/2 cup shrimp krill, 1/4 cup maesil cheong or Korean plum syrup, 2 tbsp fish sauce
- In large bowl, mix sugar, salt, and gochugaru. Make sure the bowl is large enough to hold the radish.2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp kosher salt, 1 cup gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- Pour the puree into the bowl and stir until well combined
- Add the cooled paste into the bowl and stir until well combined
- Add the radish cubes
- Mix it well until all radish cubes are well coated in the marinade. It's easier to do this wearing clean kitchen gloves.
- Add the radishes into a clean air-tight container. Press down the radishes while filling up the container. It will help release any air bubbles.
- Leave some room at the top for the kimchi to expand during the fermentation process.
- Leave the kkakdugi in room temperature 1-2 days to ferment, away from direct sunlight. If it's cold, I leave it out at room temperature 2 days. If it's warm , I leave it at room temperature 1 day.
- Place it in the refrigerator. Depending on your taste preference, let it ferment for a month before trying it.
