Spicy Korean Radish Kimchi – Asian Recipes At Home (2024)

Fresh Korean radish is julienned into strands and then mixed with a spicy mixture to create a delicious and quick radish kimchi.

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Have you ever tried Korean radish kimchi? It is so good and has a really nice crunchy texture. Unlike traditional napa cabbage kimchi, we are using fresh Korean radish, also known as mu (무), to make this kimchi. There is no cabbage involved in this particular kimchi at all. So it is a really nice change from the more traditional cabbage kimchi and adds variety to your diet and kimchi collection.

You may have seen the cubed radish kimchi in Korean markets or Asian markets. However, for this kimchi, we are julienning the radish. Due to the julienned strips, we think this particular style of kimchi makes it easy to eat with other foods, especially in lettuce wraps. You will also find this type of kimchi served with Korean-style pork belly lettuce wraps (bossam). Yummy!

Key features and tips

This is an easy and quick recipe for making delicious radish kimchi. Just remember, unlike the traditional napa cabbage kimchi, we will not be rinsing the salt off the radish after it has brined in the salt. This is very important. This kimchi is a bit more on the salty side but is why it accompanies something like Korean-style pork belly lettuce wraps (bossam) so well. Where another dish or protein lacks in salt, this kimchi will pack a flavorful punch.

This radish kimchi is delicious eaten fresh right after it is made, or after it ages a bit and starts to ferment. This radish kimchi will give you a great beneficial probiotic boost as well, just as a traditional cabbage kimchi. The longer it ages, the more probiotics.

What ingredients will I need to make this spicy Korean radish kimchi recipe?

• Korean radish
• Red chili pepper powder (gochugaru)
• Sesame seeds
• Fish sauce
• Brined salty shrimp
• Green onions
• Fresh ginger root
• Garlic
• Sweet rice powder
• Sugar
• Salt
• Water

Let’s make spicy Korean radish kimchi

Step 1: Julienne and salt the radish

Julienne the radish into ¼” strands. Cover the radish in the ½ cup of salt. Let it sit in the salt for about 2-3 hours.

Step 2: Make the sweet rice powder mixture

Mix cold water with sweet rice powder in a small pot and mix well. Turn on the stovetop to medium-high and boil cold water and sweet rice powder mixture. Make sure to stir it constantly to ensure it does not burn. As soon as it begins to boil, turn off the stove, remove the pot from the burner to let it cool. Set it aside for later.

Step 3: Blend the aromatics and umami ingredients

In a blender, add the garlic, ginger root, brined salty shrimp, fish sauce, and sugar. Blend it until it is a smooth consistency.

Step 4: Combine to make the spicy kimchi mixture

Add the blended mixture to the cooled sweet rice powder mixture. Now is the time to add the red chili pepper powder (gochugaru) to the mixture as well. Mix the spicy kimchi mixture together really well.

Step 5: Put it all together and enjoy!

After 2-3 hours, do NOT rinse off the salt from the radish. Simply add the spicy mixture and the green onions to the salted radish. Mix everything together well. Enjoy!

Serving suggestions

This style of kimchi is a bit saltier than traditional napa cabbage. However, this is why it accompanies something like Korean-style pork belly lettuce wraps (bossam) so well. Where another dish or protein lacks in salt, this kimchi will help to pack a flavorful and spicy kick. This radish kimchi is also great with just a bowl of freshly steamed rice. It is so simple, but the kimchi becomes the flavorful star. We also like to eat this kimchi along with pan-fried tofu. Delicious! It is also great with ramen, noodle soups, and Korean Chicken Ginseng Soup.

We hope you enjoy our Spicy Korean Radish Kimchi recipe!

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Spicy Korean Radish Kimchi

Yield: 24 servings

Prep Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 27 minutes

Fresh Korean radish is julienned into strands and then mixed with a spicy mixture to create a delicious and quick radish kimchi.

Ingredients

• 2 - 2 ½ lbs Korean radish
• ½ cup red chili pepper powder (gochugaru)
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp brined salty shrimp
• 4 green onions, cut 1” long pieces on the diagonal
• 1 tsp ginger root, minced
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tsp sweet rice powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• ½ cup salt
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Julienne the radish into ¼” strands. Cover the radish in the ½ cup of salt. Let it sit in the salt for about 2-3 hours.
2. Let's make the sweet rice powder mixture. Mix cold water with sweet rice powder in a small pot and mix well. Turn on the stovetop to medium-high and boil cold water and sweet rice powder mixture. Make sure to stir it constantly to ensure it does not burn. As soon as it begins to boil, turn off the stove, remove the pot from the burner, let it cool, and set it aside for later.
3. In a blender, add the garlic, ginger root, brined salty shrimp, fish sauce, and sugar. Blend it until it is a smooth consistency.
4. Then add this blended mixture to the cooled sweet rice powder mix. Also, add the red chili pepper powder (gochugaru) to the sweet rice powder mix. Mix the spicy mixture together well.
5. After 2-3 hours, do NOT rinse off the salt. Simply add the spicy mixture and the green onions to the salted radish. Mix everything together well. Enjoy!

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