Crisp and Refreshing Yeolmu Water Kimchi
Crisp and Refreshing Yeolmu Water Kimchi
Easy Yeolmu Water Kimchi Recipe for Beginners
Introducing a delicious summer delicacy, Yeolmu Water Kimchi, perfect even during the rainy season. Fermenting it at room temperature for about a day results in a wonderfully refreshing broth. It’s perfect for mixing with rice or serving with noodles. With news of the monsoon season arriving in Jeju, why not make some delicious water kimchi with fresh young radish?
Main Ingredients- 1 bunch young radish (Yeolmu)
- 60g coarse sea salt (for salting)
- 500ml purified water (for broth)
Seasoning Ingredients- 1/6 Korean radish (Mu)
- 1 apple
- 1/2 Korean pear
- 9 cloves garlic
- 10g ginger
- 100ml anchovy sauce (Myeolchi Aekjeot)
- 200ml plum extract (Maesil Aek)
- 1 Tbsp salted fermented shrimp (Saeujeot)
- 1/2 tsp new sugar (optional)
- 1 Tbsp sugar (use instead of new sugar)
- 2 onions
Broth Ingredients- 1 Tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 1 potato
- 750ml water
- 1/6 Korean radish (Mu)
- 1 apple
- 1/2 Korean pear
- 9 cloves garlic
- 10g ginger
- 100ml anchovy sauce (Myeolchi Aekjeot)
- 200ml plum extract (Maesil Aek)
- 1 Tbsp salted fermented shrimp (Saeujeot)
- 1/2 tsp new sugar (optional)
- 1 Tbsp sugar (use instead of new sugar)
- 2 onions
Broth Ingredients- 1 Tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 1 potato
- 750ml water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s make the glutinous rice paste. In a pot, combine 750ml of water with 1 Tbsp of glutinous rice flour and mix well. Add one potato, washed and cut into appropriate pieces, and bring to a boil. Cook until the potato is tender, then let it cool completely. Adding potato to the paste makes the broth exceptionally refreshing and flavorful.
Step 2
Prepare the vegetables for the water kimchi. Wash and get ready the apple, Korean pear, onions (2), garlic, ginger, and Korean radish. If using red chili peppers instead of dried chili threads, slice them thinly on an angle. Alternatively, you can dissolve chili powder into the broth later.
Step 3
Peel the 1/6 piece of Korean radish and cut it into manageable pieces that will blend well in the kimchi.
Step 4
Thinly slice one onion into slivers to add a delightful crunch to the water kimchi. Set aside.
Step 5
Trim any wilted leaves or debris from the bunch of young radish and cut off the roots. Chop the young radish into 4 or 5 equal lengths, depending on their size. Rinse them gently in clean water twice by swishing them around. Be careful not to wash too vigorously, as this can impart a grassy flavor.
Step 6
Sprinkle 60g of coarse sea salt evenly over the washed young radish and let it salt for 20 minutes. To ensure even salting, gently toss the radish from top to bottom a couple of times during this period.
Step 7
After 20 minutes, rinse the salted young radish once under running water. Drain them well, then add the thinly sliced onion and 10g of dried chili threads. Gently mix everything together.
Step 8
Carefully layer the seasoned young radish into your kimchi container. Avoid packing it too tightly.
Step 9
In a blender, combine the apple, 1/2 Korean pear, sliced Korean radish, 9 cloves of garlic, 2 onions, 10g of ginger, 100ml of anchovy sauce, 200ml of plum extract, and 1 Tbsp of salted fermented shrimp. Add the cooled glutinous rice paste and blend until smooth. Adjust the sweetness with new sugar or regular sugar as desired.
Step 10
Pour the blended seasoning mixture into a fine-mesh bag or cheesecloth. Straining the liquid this way ensures a clear, non-cloudy broth. If you don’t have a large bag, use several smaller ones. (Tip: If your bag is small, use multiple bags to hold the seasoning.)
Step 11
Pour the strained clear broth over the young radish in the kimchi container. Use the 500ml of purified water to adjust the liquid level as needed. Let it sit for about an hour to allow the flavors to meld, then remove the seasoning bag. Allow the kimchi to ferment at room temperature for about half a day before transferring it to your kimchi refrigerator for chilling. Yeolmu water kimchi tastes best when fermented at room temperature for a day and then refrigerated.
