Korean radish water kimchi is honestly the cure for anything
Dehydrated? Feeling nauseous? Stomach pains? Headache? Dongchimi is the answer. This fermented radish water kimchi is jam-packed with electrolytes and healthy probiotics that your body craves when you feel not-so-great. The liquid extracted from the radishes leave it sweet, tangy, salty, and most of all refreshing.
Dongchimi is traditionally served as an appetizer or palate cleanser before a heavy meal, but it’s a great mild broth base for cold soups and as a side dish. I usually have dongchimi in my fridge at all times – it can last up to a month or two depending on how cold your fridge is!
Some tips from the kitchen
- Dongchimi is usually made with young Korean radish, which can be hard to find off-season. When shopping for Korean radishes, find ones that have a larger green bottom. They tend to be much sweeter!
- Some dongchimi recipes do not blend the “brine” ingredients and rather put them in whole. I personally like to blend it up and extract as much liquid as I can with a cheesecloth. If you don’t have cheesecloth accessible to you, use a strainer OR keep the ingredients whole.
- Red chili peppers add a slight bit of heat to the radish water kimchi. These are totally optional! The end product will still be mild. If you’re not a fan of a little heat, try using Korean green peppers instead.
- Dongchimi can last up in the fridge for a month or two depending on how cold your fridge is. It definitely gets better over time! Two to three week old dongchimi is the sweet spot for me, after that it gets a tad bit more sour.
Ingredients
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800 g (~1 large) Korean Radish
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2 tbsp. Coarse Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
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1 tbsp. Honey
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3 Scallions, 2 in. batons
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1-2 Red Chili Peppers, sliced
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6 cups Water
Brine
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1/2 Asian Pear, peeled and chopped
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1/2 Fuji Apple, peeled and chopped
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1/4 White or Yellow Onion, chopped
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3 Garlic Cloves
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1 in. Ginger Knob
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1 cup Water
Instructions
1. Wash and scrub Korean radish to rid of any dirt.
2. Slice radish into 1 cm. thick rings and then into 1 cm. matchsticks.
3. Toss the radishes, salt, and honey in a large, clean airtight container. Set at room temperature for 1 hour.
4. To prepare the brine, blend together, asian pear, apple, onion, garlic, ginger, and water until smooth.
6. Pour the brine into a cheesecloth and extract as much liquid as you can directly onto to the radishes.
7. Add in the scallion batons and sliced peppers.
8. Pour on 6 cups of water onto the radishes and mix well.
9. Store at room temperature for 1-2 days or until you see bubbles beginning to form. Transfer into the fridge and keep up to a month.
Dongchimi (Radish Water Kimchi)
Ingredients
- 800 g ~1 large Korean Radish
- 2 tbsp. Coarse Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp. Honey
- 3 Scallions 2 in. batons
- 1-2 Red Chili Peppers sliced
- 6 cups Water
Brine
- 1/2 Asian Pear peeled and chopped
- 1/2 Fuji Apple peeled and chopped
- 1/4 White or Yellow Onion chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1 in. Ginger Knob
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Wash and scrub Korean radish to rid of any dirt.
- Slice radish into 1 cm. thick rings and then into 1 cm. matchsticks.
- Toss the radishes, salt, and honey in a large, clean airtight container. Set at room temperature for 1 hour.
- To prepare the brine, blend together, asian pear, apple, onion, garlic, ginger, and water until smooth.
- Pour the brine into a cheesecloth and extract as much liquid as you can directly onto to the radishes.
- Add in the scallion batons and sliced peppers.
- Pour on 5 cups of water onto the radishes and mix well.
- Store at room temperature for 1-2 days or until you see bubbles beginning to form. Transfer into the fridge and keep up to a month.