Kkakdugi (깍두기) is a kimchi made with Korean radish, mu (or moo, 무). It’s an easy kimchi to make! Simply cut the radishes into cubes, salt for a short time, and then mix with the seasonings. The name kkakdugi comes from how the radish is cut — cubed, and it’s known as cubed radish kimchi in English.
This recipe was originally posted in Nov. 2011. Where did the time go? Here, I’ve updated it with new photos and streamlined recipe steps.
Although Korean radish, mu (or moo), is a cool weather vegetable, kkakdugi is enjoyed all year round! Korean radish is a variety of white radish and has firm crisp flesh and a slightly sweet and peppery taste.
Summer radish can be slightly bitter. You can add more sugar than what the recipe calls for to balance out the bitterness.
Kkakdugi Seasonings
The taste of kimchi depends a lot on the types, the quality, and the ratio of the seasoning ingredients. Each Korean household has its own ways. I find myself making it differently each time.
Traditionally, various jeotgal (젓갈, salted seafood) are used in kimchi for the depth of flavors. Saeujeot (새우젓, salted shrimp) and myulchiaekjeot (멸치액젓, fish sauce made with anchovies) are the two that are most commonly used. I almost always use both of these in my kimchi. Sometimes, I also use fresh shrimp which is my mother’s secret ingredient for adding extra freshness to the kimchi flavor.
In this updated recipe, I didn’t use fresh shrimp. However, if you can’t find saeujeot in your area, consider using some raw shrimp instead.
You can enjoy kkakdugi with any Korean meal, but it’s especially good with a bowl of mild soup such as seolleongtang, samgyetang, galbitang, and dak gomtang. It’s a delicious side dish that will add a robust spicy kick and some crunch to a meal!
More recipes made with Korean radish
Mu guk(soup)
Mu Doenjang Guk (Korean Soybean Paste Radish Soup)
Musaengchae (spicy radish salad)
Musaengchae (sweet and sour radish salad)
mu namul (stir-fried radish side dish)
Quick Dongchimi (Radish water kimchi)
Kkakdugi is an easy and quick kimchi to make. It’s a delicious side dish that will add a pungent kick and some crunch to your Korean meal!
- 3 medium to large Korean radishes about 6.5 pounds - see note 1
- 1/3 cup coarse sea salt less if using finer salt
- 3 - 4 scallions cut into about 1-inch lengths
- 2/3 cup gochugaru 고추가루, Korean red chili pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup saeujeot 새우젓, salted shrimp, finely minced - see note 2
- 2 tablespoons myulchiaekjeot 멸치액젓, fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons sugar (use more to taste or for summer radish)
- a large bowl 7 – 8 qt
- a large colander
- kitchen gloves
- 1 gallon or 2 half-gallon airtight container or jar
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Clean the radishes by scrubbing with a brush and/or scratching off the stubborn impurities with a small knife. Peel the skin only if necessary. You don’t need to peel if the skin is smooth and clean. Cut into 1-inch thick discs, and then cut each disc into 1-inch cubes, placing in a large bowl. (The cubes will look big but will shrink during the salting and fermentation processes.)
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Sprinkle the salt over the radishes and toss well to coat evenly. Let sit for about 30 – 40 minutes until the radish cubes have softened and released some liquid.
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Meanwhile, prepare the seasoning ingredients. Mix everything well. Set it aside for a while for the red pepper flakes to dissolve a little and become pasty.
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Drain the radishes in a colander and discard the liquid. Do NOT rinse. Rinsing will wash the flavor away. (The radishes still contain sufficient water content that will be released during the fermentation process. With this method, the resulting kkakdugi will have a nice thick juice.)
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Place the radishes back in the bowl. Add the seasoning mix and scallions.
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Mix everything well, preferably by hand, until the radish cubes are evenly coated with the seasonings. (Make sure to wear kitchen gloves.) Taste a little bit of the seasoning off of a radish cube. It should be a little too salty to eat as is. Add more salted shrimp or fish sauce if necessary. (The radishes will be a little dry at this point, but they will release water during the fermentation process.)
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Store in an airtight container or jar. Before closing the lid, press the kkakdugi down hard with your hand to remove air pockets between the radish cubes. Leave it out at room temperature for a full day or two, depending on the room temperature and how fast you want your kimchi to ripe. Then, store in the fridge. Kkakdugi tastes best after a week or two in the fridge to fully develop the flavors. It maintains great flavor and texture for several weeks.
1. Buy the ones with smooth skins that are firm and heavy.
2. If salted shrimp is not available, increase the fish sauce by the same amount.
*Originally posted in Nov. 2011 and updated here with new photos and streamlined recipe steps.
Kkakdugi/radish kimchi makes me crave for a pot of nice beef-the ox tail bone marrow(?)-soup. It was the ultimate Korean winter comfort meal as a child.
Thanks for sharing.
Your kimchi looks perfect! I think I know what my next Korean dish will be;-) (Especially since I discovered last week a shop selling big bags of Korean chili!)
Holly - I love ox tail soup with kkakdugi too! Then again, who doesn't?
Sissi - You nailed it! The quality of Korean red chili pepper flakes is actually the most important factor for great kimchi.
Jesica - Thank you! Hope you get to make your own!
Nami - Thank you! White kimchi is pretty much kimchi without red pepper flakes. It's very refreshing, and I make it sometimes. I hope to post it soon.
It is raw minced shrimp that's added to the kimchi, and due to salt content in kimchi, the shrimp will ferment during the fermentation process. Thanks!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Cooking Gallery - Try with other daikon varieties if you can find. Thanks for visiting!
Biren - I saw your kkakdugi on your blog. It looked great! Thanks for visiting.
Tasting Korea - Thanks!
Joanne
Joanne
My whole family have now adopted korean food and the banchan's are great for busy working mums like me to ensure our kids get a variety of veges every night. Keep up the good work!
Joyce
I bough some salted baby shrimp earlier this year. There was no expiration date on the jar. Do you know how long I can keep it in my fridge?
I tried making this 2 days ago and it came out bland. When I tasted it before letting it sit to ferment it was perfect. After placing it in the fridge for a day then taste it again, the kimchi was bland and not salty enough. Is there anything I can do at this point to correct it? Or should I add more salt next time when making a new batch? Thanks!
I'm about to harvest my first crop of daikon from the garden. The first one I pulled out last week was about 2 ft x 2 inches thick, and we used that to make your beef & radish soup. The kids loved it so much they drank 2 bowls each, yum!
I know you're busy, if you have time can you give me some ideas what do to with them all while they are fresh? I've got about 8-10 of similar size daikons to harvest, and we already have a big jar of Dongchimi in the fridge. My kids are still young, so can't take too spicy dishes as yet. My youngest loves your Dongchimi, he can eat it by the mouthful!
Thanks again!
Joyce
Are you using Korean radish or Japanese daikon? Japanese daikon tends to be softer, which is not ideal for kkakdugi. Also, kkakdugi tends to get a little softer when it gets really old. If it gets too soft prematurely, it could be some ingredients or fermented too soon at the high temperature. I've heard some bad gochugaru does that too.
It's so cool you grow radishes in your garden. Are they Korean radish? Have you made mu namul? How about mu saengchae? Both are on this blog. Also, you can cut them up into finger sizes and dry them. Koreans do that to preserve radish for later use. You can simply soak them later and make "muchim" with spicy seasoning. I haven't posted a recipe for that yet, but it's on my list.
Hope this helps. Thanks always for using my recipes and providing feedback!