Korean Cubed Radish Kimchi
Quick answer
- Total time
- 30 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Kkakdugi is a staple Korean kimchi made from radish cut into 2 cm cubes, brined in coarse salt, then seasoned with gochugaru, salted shrimp, garlic, and ginger before fermentation.
Read more
Salting draws out moisture from the cubes, creating a contrast between the damp interior and the snappy outer surface. Salted shrimp layers its briny seafood depth beneath the chili heat, and as fermentation progresses, the radish's natural sugars emerge to balance the spice with a clean sweetness. Brining time should be kept to thirty minutes to one hour since over-salting softens the radish and robs it of its characteristic crunch. Adding a small drizzle of perilla oil during the seasoning step deepens the nutty undertone of the finished kimchi, and substituting grated pear or apple for sugar provides a gentler, fruit-derived sweetness that integrates more seamlessly into the overall flavor. The accumulated brine at the bottom of the jar develops a refreshing tang that makes kkakdugi the essential companion to rich, milky soups like seolleongtang and gomtang.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Cut 1.2 kg radish into 2 cm cubes, place in a bowl, add 35 g coarse salt and 20 g sugar, and let sit for 30 minutes until moisture is drawn out.
- 2Season
Pour off the liquid that collected from the salted radish once without rinsing the cubes, preserving the seasoning already absorbed.
- 3Season
Add 70 g gochugaru to the radish and toss by hand until the cubes are deeply stained red, then add 25 g salted shrimp, 25 g minced garlic, and 8 g minced ginger.
- 4Season
Cut 60 g green onions into 3 cm lengths, add to the bowl, and toss gently one more time so the seasoning is evenly coated over every piece.
- 5Season
Check that the seasoning coats the radish evenly, then pack it into an airtight container with as few gaps as possible.
- 6Season
Ferment at room temperature for 1 day then refrigerate; by days 2 to 3 the radish stays crisp while the gochugaru seasoning develops full depth.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Coarse salt draws moisture from Kkakdugi-kimchi cubes to ensure a firm, crisp radish texture.
- Finish cue
- Check that the seasoning coats the radish evenly, then pack it into an airtight container with as few gaps as possible.
- Substitution
- Adding a small drizzle of perilla oil during the seasoning step deepens the nutty undertone of the finished kimchi, and substituting grated pear or apple for sugar provides a gentler, fruit-derived sweetness that integrates more seamlessly into the overall flavor.
- Storage and reheating
- Ferment at room temperature for 1 day then refrigerate; by days 2 to 3 the radish stays crisp while the gochugaru seasoning develops full depth.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
30min, 8 ingredients
Category median
32min, 7 ingredients
Based on 163 recipes
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