Delicious and Crispy Kkakdugi-style Radish Kimchi (Altari Radish Kimchi)
The Best Homemade Side Dish! Altari Radish Kimchi Recipe
A hearty and beloved side dish for the whole family, try making this crisp Altari Radish Kimchi yourself. It’s a guaranteed rice-stealer!
Main Ingredients- 4 bunches of Altari radishes (well-trimmed)
Kimchi Seasoning Ingredients- Roasted salt (for salting radishes)
- 2 onions (medium-sized)
- 1/4 cup minced garlic (generous amount)
- 1/2 cup minced ginger (or 2 Tbsp ginger powder)
- 1/3 cup gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, adjust to spice preference)
- 1/2 cup anchovy sauce (for umami)
- 1/2 cup salted shrimp (finely minced)
- 2/3 cup dried anchovy and shrimp paste (for deep flavor)
- 1 cup plum extract (for natural sweetness)
- 1/4 cup sugar (adjust sweetness)
- 4 cups cooked porridge (made with glutinous rice flour or wheat flour, adjust consistency)
- 1 bunch of green onions (chopped)
- 1/2 carrot (thinly julienned)
- Salt for adjusting seasoning when packing kimchi (if needed)
- Roasted salt (for salting radishes)
- 2 onions (medium-sized)
- 1/4 cup minced garlic (generous amount)
- 1/2 cup minced ginger (or 2 Tbsp ginger powder)
- 1/3 cup gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, adjust to spice preference)
- 1/2 cup anchovy sauce (for umami)
- 1/2 cup salted shrimp (finely minced)
- 2/3 cup dried anchovy and shrimp paste (for deep flavor)
- 1 cup plum extract (for natural sweetness)
- 1/4 cup sugar (adjust sweetness)
- 4 cups cooked porridge (made with glutinous rice flour or wheat flour, adjust consistency)
- 1 bunch of green onions (chopped)
- 1/2 carrot (thinly julienned)
- Salt for adjusting seasoning when packing kimchi (if needed)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Trim the outer leaves of the fresh Altari radishes and scrape off any dirt with a knife. Make 2-3 deep cuts into the middle of each radish; this allows the seasoning to penetrate fully, resulting in more flavor. Salt the trimmed radishes generously with roasted salt for 2 hours. Flip them halfway through to ensure even salting.
Step 2
After 2 hours of salting, rinse the Altari radishes thoroughly under running water 2-3 times to remove excess salt. Draining the radishes well is key to keeping them crisp and preventing them from becoming mushy. You can drain them in a colander or gently pat them dry with paper towels.
Step 3
Let’s make the delicious kimchi seasoning. Using a blender or immersion blender, finely puree the onions, minced garlic, and minced ginger. In a bowl, combine the pureed ingredients with gochugaru, anchovy sauce, salted shrimp, dried anchovy and shrimp paste, plum extract, sugar, and the pre-cooked porridge. Mix everything thoroughly to create the seasoning paste. If the paste is too thick, add a little more porridge or water to reach your desired consistency.
Step 4
Add the prepared seasoning to the well-drained Altari radishes and mix gently. Ensure you coat the stems and leaves of the radishes thoroughly with the seasoning for even flavor distribution. Finally, add the chopped green onions and julienned carrots, and mix lightly. Pack the kimchi tightly into a container to minimize air exposure, which helps it last longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little salt if needed.
