Easy Young Radish Kimchi (Chong Gak Kimchi)

Prepare the flour paste:

1. Mix 1 Tbs flour and 1/2 cup water until there are no big lumps.
2. Heat 1/2 cup water in a pot.
3. When the water starts to boil, add the flour mixture and lower heat immediately.
4. Simmer while stirring often so the flour does not stick to the bottom and everything is evenly mixed. The paste is fully cooked when it no longer looks opaque (prob. 3-5 min on med heat). It is OK if there are some small lumps as long as there are no huge ones.
5. Set aside and let it cool.

Prepare the yangnyum (seasoning):

1. To the flour paste (should be cooled, it can be lukewarm but not too warm), add chili powder and mix it well.
2. Set aside for few minutes so the chili powder has a chance to soak.

Back to the picked radishes:

1. Rinse it in cold water 2-3 times and drain. When rinsing, be careful when handling the radish because you can easily bruise the radish and release a pungent grassy taste. Just gently shake the salted radish in the water 2-3 times and then drain.
2. Cut the rinsed and drained radish into bite size lengths – about 2-3 in long. Leave the smaller radishes whole and cutting larger ones along with some of the green stems attached.
3. If the radish is too big, you can cut it in half or even into quarters but leaving the top end intact.
4. In a large bowl, add the radish, green onions, fermented anchovy liquid, ginger, garlic and the chili flour paste.
5. Gently mix the kimchi and yangnyum until everything is blended. Add 1-2 Tbs sugar and salt to taste. Remember raw kimchi is supposed to taste a bit saltier than how you want it to taste when it’s ripe so if it tastes just right when it’s raw, then it’s not salty enough.
6. Finally, fill a container with the chong gak kimchi. Press the radishes down into the liquid to make sure there are no air pockets.
7. Store the kimchi at room temperature for 1-2 days to kick off the fermentation. In cooler temperature, you may need to leave it out longer. See my No Crazy Kimchi post for more detailed info on how to ferment kimchi.