Quick dongchimi

Name: Quick dongchimi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 2 pounds Korean white radish, mu (무); 1/2 pound napa cabbage, tender inner parts (or 1/2 pound more radish); 2 green and/or red chili peppers; 2 scallions; 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt (divided); 1 tablespoon sugar (optional if your radish is bitter); 1/2 Korean pear (or 1 small Asian pear or apple); 5 to 7 plump garlic cloves; 1 inch ginger piece; 1/4 small onion - optional; 1 tablespoon glutinous rice powder; 2 tablespoons salt

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4.8

60 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Salting time
40 mins
Course
Side Dish
Cuisine
Korean

Quick dongchimi

Michael Cole

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Perfect for any time of day, this recipe delivers great flavor effortlessly.

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Ingredients

For the vegetables

2 pounds Korean white radish, mu (무)
1/2 pound napa cabbage, tender inner parts (or 1/2 pound more radish) See note 1
2 green and/or red chili peppers thinly sliced
2 scallions cut into about 1-inch lengths
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt (divided) Use less (about 25% less) if using small grain salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional if your radish is bitter)

For the brine

1/2 Korean pear (or 1 small Asian pear or apple) peeled and cored
5 to 7 plump garlic cloves
1 inch ginger piece
1/4 small onion - optional
1 tablespoon glutinous rice powder to make a paste with 1 cup water
2 tablespoons salt Use less (about 25% less) if using small grain salt

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Instructions

Clean the radishes by scrubbing with a brush and/or scratching off the impurities with a small knife. Peel the skin only if necessary. The skin is packed with nutrients. Cut each radish crosswise into about 2-inch logs. Then cut each log into 1/2-inch thick pieces and then each piece into 1/2-inch thick sticks, placing in a large bowl.
Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of salt and optional 1 tablespoon sugar (use it if your radish is bitter) over the radishes and toss well to coat evenly. Let sit for about 30 - 40 minutes until the radish sticks have softened and released some liquid. Drain, saving the liquid in a bowl or pot you'll be using to make the brine. Do NOT rinse the radish. Place the radish in the jar or kimchi container.
If using the optional cabbage, rinse the cabbage, and cut each leaf of the cabbage into 2-inch long and 1/2 - 1-inch pieces.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in a cup of water and pour over the cabbage. Stir to coat the cabbage pieces with salt water. Let sit for 30 to 40 minutes until softened. Rotate the bottom ones to the top once or twice midway through the process. Drain, saving the liquid in a bowl or pot you'll be using to make the brine. Do NOT rinse the cabbage. Place the cabbage in the jar or kimchi container.
While the radish is salting, whisk together the glutinous rice powder and 1 cup of water, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens into a thin paste. Set aside to cool it.
Place the pear (or apple), garlic, ginger and optional onion in the blender. Add 1/2 cup water. Puree it as fine as possible. Run it through a fine strainer to remove leftover solids for cleaner broth, if desired.
To make the brine, add about 9 cups of water to the reserved liquid from salting the radish and cabbage. Add the aromatic vegetable puree and glutinous rice paste. Stir in salt, starting with a tablespoon. Stir well to dissolve the salt, and taste it before adding more salt.
Place the salted radish and cabbage in a jar or air-tight container. Add the scallion and peppers. Pour the brine over. Stir well together. Taste the brine. Add more salt if necessary. If the brine is too salty, add more water to dilute. It should be a tad salty to eat as is.
Leave it out at room temperature for a full day or two until bubbles rise through the brine. Taste again and add more salt if necessary or add more water if too salty. Then, store in the fridge. Although you can start eating it any time at this point, it will need about a week or two in the fridge to fully develop the acidic, tangy flavors. It keeps well for several weeks in the fridge. Stir from the bottom each time you ladle the broth from the jar or container to serve.

Notes

VARIATION: You can also make dongchimi by cutting radishes and pears into big chunks and throwing in aromatic vegetables without blending. This is easier but will take longer to ferment. It's great for making a large batch for longer storage. Be sure to pre-salt the radishes (and napa cabbage if using). The brine should be slightly too salty to eat as is. There's plenty of water content in radishes that would dilute the brine over time. I sometimes throw in some jujubes (daechu, 대추), and Korean red mustard leaf (gat, 갓), if available.
Make baechu guk with the leftover cabbage. If omitting, use 1/2 pound more radish.
VARIATION: You can also make dongchimi by cutting radishes and pears into big chunks and throwing in aromatic vegetables without blending. This is easier but will take longer to ferment. It's great for making a large batch for longer storage. Be sure to pre-salt the radishes (and napa cabbage if using). The brine should be slightly too salty to eat as is. There's plenty of water content in radishes that would dilute the brine over time. I sometimes throw in some jujubes (daechu, 대추), and Korean red mustard leaf (gat, 갓), if available.