Easy Chonggak Kimchi Recipe for Beginners Using Pickled Young Radish (3kg)
Hello, I'm Dallang! :D
Kimchi making might seem difficult and time-consuming, but with good ingredients, even beginners can make it without fail.
Especially Chonggak Kimchi, made with summer’s seasonal young radish, is all about the crunchy texture. The quality of the pickling is key to its taste!
We used to buy young radishes and pickle them ourselves, but it's a bit tiring now. Plus, the price of pre-pickled young radishes online isn’t much different, so I bought 3kg from Solhwi Farm.
Instead of making large batches of kimchi at once, our family prefers to make small amounts, around 3kg, frequently. Making too much from the start can cause the kimchi to become overly fermented, making it hard to enjoy the crunchy texture until the end.
This amount doesn’t take up much space in the fridge and is perfect for a family of four to enjoy for about two weeks to a month. I’ll share my easy Chonggak Kimchi recipe!
1. Ingredients
Solhwi Farm Pickled Young Radish 3kg
Korean chili powder (gochugaru) 1/2 cup
Fish sauce 3 tbsp
Salted shrimp 1 tbsp
Plum extract 3 tbsp
Minced garlic 3 tbsp
Korean chives (buchu) a handful
Red chili peppers 10
Onion 1/2
Cold cooked rice 1/2 bowl
2. How to Make Delicious Chonggak Kimchi
The pickled young radish from Solhwi Farm is pre-cleaned and ready to use without any additional washing at home.
After draining the water, I only cut off the leafy parts. The radish wasn't too big or too small, and it was pickled just right, so the crunchiness was well preserved.
Cut the chives in half. Instead of glutinous rice paste, I blended 10 red chili peppers, half an onion, and half a bowl of cold cooked rice in a blender.
This red pepper paste is my family’s secret ingredient used instead of glutinous rice paste, so trust me and try it out!!
In a large bowl, add the chives, red pepper paste, and all the remaining ingredients, and mix well.
(Feel free to add or remove ingredients according to your preference.)
After lightly squeezing out the excess water from the pickled young radish, mix it with the seasoning. That's it! Easy, right? Hehe.
The radish was pickled so well that the seasoning didn't sit on the surface but absorbed well, bringing out the crunchy texture of the radish.
Pack it into a small 9L kimchi container, pressing it down slightly, and pour in all the remaining seasoning. Chonggak Kimchi is complete!
(You might be able to use an even smaller kimchi container.)
Leave it at room temperature for about a day, then store it in the kimchi refrigerator. You can enjoy it starting 2-3 days later.
3. Why Use Pickled Young Radish?
For Chonggak Kimchi, the radish needs to be fresh and evenly pickled to maintain the crunchy texture for a long time.
The pickled young radish I ordered from Solhwi Farm was delivered in an icebox with ice packs, keeping it fresh. The vinyl packaging was also secure, so there were no worries about the radish being damaged or scattered.
The size and condition of Solhwi Farm's pickled young radish are consistent, making it look nice when mixed. The pickling is just right, preserving the radish's sweetness and moisture.
Another major advantage is that it comes pre-cleaned, so you don't have to clean it again at home. Thanks to this, even beginners can make it without worrying about failure.
4. Chonggak Kimchi Completed
When you make kimchi in small batches of about 3kg, you can finish it before it becomes overly fermented, allowing you to enjoy the crunchy and clean taste until the end.
Even when eaten as a side dish with rice, the crunchy texture and deep flavor of the seasoning make you empty a bowl of rice in no time.
Especially during the summer, it goes well with makguksu or cold noodle soup. The tangy and spicy taste combines with the noodles, reviving your appetite. Pouring in a bit of broth and kimchi juice enhances the cool and savory flavor, making a bowl disappear in an instant.
It's also delicious when eaten with boiled pork belly, so try making delicious Chonggak Kimchi!
Making Chonggak Kimchi at home is easier than you think, and with good pickled young radish, there’s almost no chance of failure.
Thanks to the quality of the pickling this time, the Chonggak Kimchi I made has a crunchy first taste and a subtle sweetness in the aftertaste, which my family is all enjoying.
If you’re a kimchi beginner and love the crunchy texture of seasonal summer Chonggak Kimchi, I recommend starting with a small batch of 3kg!
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