Globe "Red" Radish Kimchi
Updated: Sep 7, 2021
I love making kimchi, especially traditional Napa cabbage kimchi. Radish kimchi is my second favorite kimchi to make with bok choy kimchi being my third favorite. Traditionally, radish kimchi is made with daikon radishes which are a type of big white winter radish that is used in Japanese and Korean cuisine. It can be be pickled or fermented and can be enjoyed as a snack with other vegetables as well as used in gimbap. Pickled daikon is absolutely delicious and is similar to pickles except less salty but with the same satisfying crunch that you expect from pickled vegetables. Unfortunately, I don't live near any Asian grocery stores so I don't have access to daikon radishes. Me being a home cook who likes to improvise when the going gets tough, I decided to experiment with using globe radishes (the common red radishes you see at grocery stores that you probably don't pay attention to) for radish kimchi. They're surprisingly good and I never knew until I did some googling that you can cook this type of radish and they're not just used for salads. Globe radishes are also pretty good as a pickled snack just like daikon. I don't think globe radishes can completely replace daikon radishes when making radish kimchi but I think of them as a tasty alternative when you might not have daikon and want to make radish kimchi.
(above: globe radishes)
Ingredients:
-1 bunch red radishes (washed and thinly sliced)
-1 tbs. lime juice
-2 tbs. minced garlic
-2 tbs. sesame oil
-1/2 cup chopped green onions
-1 tbs. sugar
-1 tbs. water
-1/4 tsp. red crushed pepper
-1 tbs. fish sauce
-1 tsp. ground ginger
-2 tbs. rice vinegar
-2 tbs. white vinegar
-a colander and mason jar(s)
Steps:
Thoroughly wash radishes and make sure all the dirt is rinsed off. Cut radishes into small pieces, making sure to cut off the "tail" end and the tip of the front of the radishes, then lightly salt them in a colander. Let the radishes sit in the colander for 20 minutes. Rinse salt off of the radishes.
In a bowl, mix all seasonings and radishes. Place the radish mixture into mason jar(s) and refrigerate for at 3 days before eating. Eat within two weeks and enjoy!
Note: You can eat radish kimchi cooked or raw. I personally love eating them in a noodle stir fry or with rice.
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More Pickled and Fermented Recipes:
-Joi's Homemade Napa Cabbage Kimchi