Korean Restaurant-Style Kkakdugi
Quick answer
- Active time
- 30 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Cut into chunky 2 cm cubes, the radish stays crunchy right to the center even after salting and a day of fermentation.
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Anchovy fish sauce builds the savory base as the kimchi ripens, and ginger tames the raw radish smell for a cleaner finish. With sweeter winter radish, the sugar can come down. After 24 hours at room temperature a light fizzy sourness appears, and from there the fridge takes over. In summer, cut the room-temperature rest to half a day so it does not turn too sour. In Korean restaurants it sits beside grilled pork belly and hot rice soups, cutting through their richness.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Trim any rough peel from 900 g Korean radish and cut it into even 2 cm cubes.
Keeping the pieces similar in size helps the salt penetrate evenly and gives the finished kkakdugi a consistent crunch.
- 2
Sprinkle the radish evenly with 2 tablespoons coarse salt and let it stand for 20 minutes.
Turn the cubes once halfway through, then discard all the liquid drawn out so the seasoning stays clean and not watery.
- 3
Drain the salted radish in a colander for about 5 minutes.
Do not rinse for a long time, or the seasoning will taste flat. Leave the surface lightly moist so the red seasoning clings well.
- 4
In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons gochugaru, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, and sugar.
Stir until the sugar grains disappear and the paste looks thick, glossy, and evenly red.
- 5
Add the seasoning paste to the radish and toss by hand, pressing gently so every cut side turns red.
When the cubes are evenly coated, add 50 g green onion and fold lightly to avoid bruising it.
- 6
Pack the kkakdugi into an airtight container, pressing down to remove air pockets and leveling the top.
Leave it at room temperature for 24 hours until it smells tangy, then refrigerate and let it mature before serving.
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