Korean Ponytail Radish Kimchi
Salt 1.5 kg young radishes with 90 g coarse salt for 2 hours, turning once halfway, until they bend gently, then rinse 3 times and drain for 30 minutes so the paste is not thinned. Let 5 tbsp chili flakes stand in 4 tbsp anchovy fish sauce for 10 minutes until the paste thickens, stir in the garlic and ginger, fold in the scallions, and coat the radishes gently so the softened greens are not bruised. Pack tightly, leave at room temperature for 1 day, and refrigerate when small bubbles appear and the aroma turns clean and tangy.
Quick answer
- Active time
- 60 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Ponytail radishes go into the kimchi whole, greens and all, and after a day at room temperature they bite back with a fizzy tang.
Read more
Long greens turn tough, so they are trimmed short first.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Wash 1500 g young radishes well to remove soil, then trim the leafy tops short so they do not turn fibrous.
Sprinkle 90 g coarse salt between the roots and leaves, brine for 2 hours, and turn once halfway through.
- 2
When the radishes bend gently and the surface looks slightly translucent, rinse them 3 times in cold water.
Drain in a colander for 30 minutes so excess water does not thin the seasoning paste later.
- 3
Mix 5 tbsp Korean chili flakes with 4 tbsp anchovy fish sauce and let them stand for 10 minutes.
Wait until the flakes look moist, the paste thickens, and the red color deepens before adding aromatics.
- 4
Add 2 tbsp minced garlic and 1 tsp minced ginger to the bloomed chili paste, then stir until evenly loosened.
Scrape the bottom of the bowl so no clumps remain, because concentrated paste can make some radishes too salty.
- 5
Cut 80 g scallions into 4 cm pieces and fold them into the seasoning first.
Add the drained radishes and toss gently, coating both roots and leaves without bruising the softened greens.
- 6
Pack the kimchi tightly into a container and level the surface to reduce trapped air.
Leave it at room temperature for one day; when small bubbles appear and the aroma turns clean and tangy, refrigerate it.
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