Dongchimi
Radish water kimchi
동치미 · winter radish water kimchi in clear brine
Dongchimi is the winter water kimchi of Korea's north and Gangwon province, traditionally made just before the first frost in a big onggi crock buried in the yard. Whole radishes sit in a clear, salty brine with pear, garlic, ginger and green chillies, and after a few weeks the brine turns tangy, cold and lightly fizzy. It is served with roasted sweet potatoes, rice-cake soup, and is famous as the broth for cold naengmyeon noodles. The common mistake is eating it too early: the brine needs at least two weeks of slow, cold fermentation to lose its raw saltiness. Use a clean glass or ceramic jar or kimchi box scalded with boiling water, and keep the vegetables pressed below the brine; anything sticking out can grow mould. Chef's tip: roll the radishes in salt and leave them overnight before adding the brine; they stay crunchy all winter.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the radishes
- 4 ⅜ lb small Korean radishes (dongchimi mu)or 1 large mu cut into quarters lengthways
- 3 ½ oz coarse sea salt
For the brine
- 3 litre waterfiltered or boiled and cooled
- 2 ⅛ oz coarse sea salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 Asian pearquartered
- 10 cloves garlichalved
- ⅔ oz fresh gingersliced
- 6 green chilliespricked with a fork
- 6 spring onionstied into knots
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Scrub 4 ⅜ lb small Korean radishes (dongchimi mu) well; leave on a little stem. Roll each wet radish in 3 ½ oz coarse sea salt and pack into a clean container. Cover and leave overnight in a cool place.
15 minStep 2: The next day the radishes will have released water. Keep that liquid; it becomes part of the brine.
Step 3: Put 10 cloves garlic and ⅔ oz fresh ginger into a muslin bag so they don't float. Add the bag, 1 Asian pear, 6 green chillies and 6 spring onions to the container.
Step 4: Dissolve 2 ⅛ oz coarse sea salt and 1 tbsp sugar in 3 litre water and pour over the radishes. Weigh them down with a plate so everything stays under the brine.
Step 5: Leave at cool room temperature (about 59°F) for 2–3 days until bubbles appear, then refrigerate. Start eating after 2 weeks, when the brine is tangy; keeps for 2–3 months.
0 minStep 6: To serve, slice a radish into batons, ladle the cold brine into bowls and add a few pieces with a slice of pear and chilli.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 20 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dongchimi take?
- About 60 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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Perfect for:Winter warmers