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Musaengchae
Spicy radish salad
Musaengchae (무생채): crunchy chilli-dressed radish salad
Musaengchae is the quick radish salad Korean cooks make when the big autumn radishes from Gyeonggi farms come in, and it appears on the side of bibimbap bowls and pork platters all winter. Fine matchsticks of radish are reddened with gochugaru, then seasoned sweet, sour and salty, so every forkful is cold, crisp and lively. This version leaves out the fish sauce, so it is fully vegan. The common mistake is salting the radish before the chilli: the salt draws out water first and the colour ends up pale and patchy. Chef's tip: toss the radish with the chilli flakes on their own first and leave it for 5 minutes; it takes on a deep, even red before anything else goes in.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb Korean radish (mu) or daikonpeeled
- 1 ½ tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 garlicclove, grated
- 1 spring onionthinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Slice 1 ⅛ lb Korean radish (mu) or daikon into 3 mm rounds, stack a few at a time and cut into 3 mm matchsticks about 6 cm long. Keep them even so they season at the same rate.
Step 2: Put the radish in a bowl, sprinkle over 1 ½ tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) and toss with your hands (wear a glove if you like) until every strand is evenly red. Leave for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 garlic and toss again. The radish will soften slightly and release a little pink juice after a couple of minutes; that is what you want.
2 minStep 4: Mix in 1 spring onion and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, taste and adjust the salt or vinegar. Serve straight away while crisp, or chill; it keeps 3 days but grows softer and juicier.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 40 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does musaengchae take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
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