Making Tender and Delicious Radish Greens Kimchi
Making Tender and Delicious Radish Greens Kimchi
How to Make Radish Greens Kimchi with Freshly Picked Greens from Your Garden
Enjoy a winter delicacy by making radish greens kimchi with fresh radish greens cultivated in your own garden. These tender greens, thinned out before the main kimchi-making season, boast a crisp texture and deep flavor, perfect as a side dish for rice or a delightful accompaniment to jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles). Utilize the young radish greens with small radishes attached – ideal for dongchimi (radish water kimchi) – to create a tender and flavorful kimchi.
Kimchi Ingredients- 1 cup coarse sea salt (for salting radish greens)
- 2 cups water (for brine)
- 12 handfuls fresh radish greens (cleaned and trimmed)
- 20 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, coarse)
- 30 Tbsp fish sauce
- 3 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 3 Tbsp plum extract (for sweetness)
- 1 onion (thinly sliced)
- 3 Tbsp cooked rice (as a binder)
- 1 cup dried kelp and anchovy broth (to blend with rice)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the fresh radish greens, recently thinned from the garden. These are young and tender, offering a much softer texture than those dried for sigeumchi (dried radish greens). First, trim off the root ends at the garden and then bring them indoors for thorough cleaning and preparation.
Step 2
Trim off the very tips of the large, broad leaves at the top of the radish greens. Then, cut the stems into manageable lengths of about 5-6 cm. Rinse the prepared radish greens thoroughly under running water to remove any soil or debris.
Step 3
Place the cleaned and trimmed radish greens in a large bowl. Measure out 1 cup of coarse sea salt. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the radish greens, taking small pinches with your fingertips. Layer the greens and salt, ensuring the salt is distributed generously.
Step 4
Combine the remaining salt with 2 cups of water in a separate container. Shake well to dissolve the salt, creating a brine. Pour this brine evenly over the salted radish greens in the bowl. This helps the greens to pickle uniformly.
Step 5
Since the radish greens are young and tender, it’s best to salt them moderately rather than intensely. Let them pickle for about 1 hour. During this time, flip the greens from top to bottom once to ensure even salting. You’ll notice the volume of the radish greens reduces by more than half as they are salted.
Step 6
After pickling, rinse the radish greens under running water, agitating them gently to remove excess salt. Drain them thoroughly in a colander. Counting them by hand, you should have approximately 12 handfuls of salted radish greens.
Step 7
Transfer the drained radish greens to a large mixing bowl. Now, let’s prepare the flavorful kimchi seasoning. Add 20 Tbsp of gochugaru, 30 Tbsp of fish sauce, 3 Tbsp of minced garlic, 1/2 Tbsp of minced ginger, and 3 Tbsp of plum extract. Also, add 1 thinly sliced onion.
Step 8
Prepare the cooked rice that will act as a binder, replacing traditional glutinous rice paste. Place 3 Tbsp of cooked rice into a blender.
Step 9
Pour 1 cup of kelp and anchovy broth into the blender with the rice. Blend until smooth. This mixture will help thicken the kimchi seasoning and add umami.
Step 10
Add the blended rice and broth mixture to the radish greens and the other kimchi seasonings. Stir everything together to combine.
Step 11
Gently mix the seasoning into the radish greens with your hands. Ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed, especially between the stems and leaves. The aroma of fresh radish greens kimchi is already becoming enticing.
Step 12
The mixed radish greens kimchi was packed into a 5.5-liter kimchi container, with a little space left over. While the greens seemed abundant initially, the final kimchi volume is quite reasonable. Allow the kimchi to ferment at room temperature for one night, then transfer it to the kimchi refrigerator to chill and enjoy. It makes for a hearty and satisfying meal, especially with rice!
