Crispy and Delicious Sweet & Sour Radish Salad (Mu Saengchae)
Crispy and Delicious Sweet & Sour Radish Salad (Mu Saengchae)
Super Easy Radish Salad (Mu Saengchae) Golden Recipe: The Harmony of Crispy Texture and Sweet & Sour Flavor
Hello everyone! This is Jia, your cooking enthusiast. In times of high prices, ‘radish’ is one of the relatively inexpensive and versatile ingredients. One radish can transform into various dishes. Today, I’m sharing the recipe for one of the most beloved side dishes: ‘Mu Saengchae’ (radish salad). As the weather gets warmer, reduce your time at the stove and whip up this easy and delicious radish salad to tantalize your taste buds!
Main Ingredients- 1/2 Radish
Seasoning Ingredients (measured by adult tablespoon)- 3 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (or Anchovy Sauce)
- 1 Tbsp Plum Extract (Mae Sil Cheong)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Oligodang (corn syrup) or other liquid sweetener
- 0.5 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Scallions (green part)
Radish Brining Ingredients- 1 Tbsp Coarse Sea Salt
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (or Anchovy Sauce)
- 1 Tbsp Plum Extract (Mae Sil Cheong)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Oligodang (corn syrup) or other liquid sweetener
- 0.5 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Scallions (green part)
Radish Brining Ingredients- 1 Tbsp Coarse Sea Salt
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare all the ingredients needed for the dish.
Step 2
For the radish, the parts with a greenish hue, similar to those used in kimchi, are sweeter and tastier. Julienne the radish thinly according to your preference. Thinly sliced radish absorbs seasonings well and maintains a crisp texture.
Step 3
Place the prepared radish in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt for brining.
Step 4
Next, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, mix well, and let it brine for about 20 minutes. The sugar helps with osmosis, making the radish softer and adding sweetness.
Step 5
After 20 minutes, squeeze out the excess water from the brined radish firmly with your hands. Properly squeezing out the water prevents the salad from becoming watery and maintains its crispness.
Step 6
Now it’s time to mix in the seasonings. First, add 3 tablespoons of gochugaru to give it color, and coat the radish evenly.
Step 7
Next, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. The pungent flavor of garlic will deepen the taste of the radish salad.
Step 8
Add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (or anchovy sauce) for umami. If you don’t have fish sauce, soy sauce can be a substitute.
Step 9
Add 1 tablespoon of plum extract (Mae Sil Cheong) to balance the sweet and sour flavors.
Step 10
Add 1 tablespoon of oligodang (corn syrup) for sweetness, adjustable to your taste. You can also use regular corn syrup.
Step 11
Generously add 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds for a nutty flavor. Crushing the sesame seeds before adding them enhances their aroma.
Step 12
Finally, add 1 tablespoon of chopped scallions for a fragrant finish. If scallions are unavailable, other green vegetables can be used.
Step 13
After mixing all the seasonings, drizzle with 0.5 tablespoon of sesame oil as a finishing touch. This completes the golden ratio recipe for a delicious sweet and sour radish salad!
Step 14
Transfer the finished radish salad to a container and store it in the refrigerator. It’s delicious right away, but letting it rest slightly will deepen the flavors even further.
Step 15
The compliments on how delicious it was were overwhelming, so I bought another radish the next day and made a generous batch! I highly recommend you try making it too.
