Kim Soo-mi’s Quick and Crispy Radish Salad (Musaengchae)
Kim Soo-mi’s Musaengchae in Just 3 Minutes!
Musaengchae is a perfect banchan (side dish) for mixing into rice! This is a simple yet highly recommended dish that you can easily prepare. When you’re short on time in your busy daily life, whipping up some Musaengchae and mixing it with gochujang (red chili paste) and sesame oil makes for a delicious meal. Kim Soo-mi’s recipe keeps the radish wonderfully crisp for a long time. It’s so simple, cooks often find it takes just 3 minutes! Stop searching for the golden recipe for Musaengchae and try Kim Soo-mi’s recipe.
Ingredients- 475g Korean radish
- 2 Tbsp chopped green onion
- 4 Tbsp red chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- A little sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash and prepare the Korean radish. Slice the radish thinly into rounds about 0.5cm thick. Then, julienne the radish slices into thin strips, about 0.3cm wide. Once sliced this way, your Musaengchae is almost ready.
Step 2
Lightly season the julienned radish with 2 tsp of salt for initial seasoning. Do not let the radish sit for too long after seasoning. Let it rest for only about 3-5 minutes before cooking to maintain its crispiness.
Step 3
Finely chop the green onion. Add 2 Tbsp of the chopped green onion to the seasoned radish. Adding green onion enhances the flavor of the Musaengchae. You can also use scallions if you prefer.
Step 4
Now it’s time to season the Musaengchae. In a bowl, add 1 Tbsp of minced garlic, 4 Tbsp of red chili flakes, 2 tsp of sugar, and 1 Tbsp of toasted sesame seeds. Adding the red chili flakes first helps the radish absorb the color beautifully, creating a more vibrant dish. If you’re short on time or find it tedious, you can add all the seasonings at once and mix; it won’t affect the taste.
Step 5
Finally, drizzle in a little sesame oil and gently mix everything together with your hands until the ingredients are evenly combined. The initial salt seasoning provides enough flavor, so no extra seasoning is usually needed. This prepared Musaengchae is delicious as a standalone side dish, or it’s fantastic when added to bibimbap!
