Crispy Spicy-Sweet-Sour Radish Salad (Musaengchae)
The Best Recipe for Spicy, Sweet, and Sour Radish Salad
Let’s make a delicious and refreshing radish salad (Musaengchae) with simple steps. It’s so good, it’ll become your favorite side dish!
Musaengchae Ingredients- 1/2 medium Korean radish (approx. 300-400g)
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/5 carrot (for color, optional)
- 1/4 white part of a leek (or a small amount of scallions)
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1.5 tsp red chili powder (gochugaru)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp fish sauce (anchovy or sand lance)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare half of a fresh Korean radish. Wash the skin thoroughly, peel it, and then cut it into 5cm lengths. Next, julienne it into thin strips about 2-3mm thick (using a mandoline slicer can make this much easier!). If using, thinly julienne the carrot to a similar thickness and length for a beautiful color. Finely chop the white part of the leek or thinly slice scallions. (For extra heat, you can add a chopped Cheongyang chili pepper).
Step 2
Place the julienned radish, carrot, and leek into a large mixing bowl. Before adding the seasonings, sprinkle the radish with 1 tsp of salt and gently toss to combine. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. This process draws out excess moisture from the radish, making it extra crispy and helping it absorb flavors better. (Be careful not to let it sit too long, or it might become mushy!).
Step 3
Discard the water released from the radish. Add the minced garlic (1/2 tsp), red chili powder (1.5 tsp), sugar (1 tsp), fish sauce (1 tsp), and vinegar (2 tsp) to the bowl. Now, gently mix everything together with your hands until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Avoid overmixing or mashing the radish; a gentle toss is key to coat everything without breaking the radish pieces. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt or fish sauce.
Step 4
After gently tossing to coat, let the salad rest for a few minutes for the flavors to meld. Your delicious, crispy, spicy-sweet, and tangy radish salad (Musaengchae) is ready! It’s great to eat immediately, but chilling it in the refrigerator for a short while will make it even more refreshing. This versatile side dish pairs wonderfully with bibimbap, ssam밥 (rice wraps), grilled meats, and more!
