Crispy Bite-Sized Oi Sobagi (Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi)
A bite-sized stuffed cucumber kimchi side dish, salted in boiling brine to stay crisp without turning soft.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This summer kimchi is salted with hot brine so the cucumbers stay crisp to the very end without getting mushy. Cut into bite-sized pieces and slit for stuffing, the seasoning is easily mixed using leftover cold cooked rice instead of cooking glutinous rice paste. It is delicious eaten fresh right after making or fermented until tangy.
- Servings
- about 5–6 servings
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Korean cucumber (joseon-oi)5
- Water5 cups
- Coarse sea salt1/2 cup
Filling
- Garlic chives (buchu)1 handful, 100 g
- Onion1/4
- Red chili pepper2
Glutinous rice paste
- Water1/2 cup
- Glutinous rice flour2/3 tbsp
Seasoning
- Glutinous rice paste
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)4 tbsp
- Minced garlic2 tbsp
- Anchovy fish sauce1 tbsp
- Salted fermented shrimp (saeujeot)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Ginger juice1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Korean cucumber (joseon-oi) is crisp and delicious for making stuffed cucumber kimchi.
- Bring 5 cups of water and 1/2 cup of salt to a rolling boil, pour it directly over the cucumbers, and let them salt for 1 hour.
- You can make a paste with glutinous rice flour and water, or if you prefer convenience, blend 1/2 cup of water and 2 tbsp of leftover cold cooked rice finely in a blender. You can also substitute anchovy broth for the glutinous rice paste.
Steps
1. Korean cucumber (joseon-oi) is crisp and delicious for making stuffed cucumber kimchi.
Rub the cucumbers with coarse sea salt and rinse them in clean water.
Washing them by rubbing with salt keeps the cucumber color bright.
2. Cut them into bite-sized pieces, dividing into 8 to 9 portions,
and make two crosswise slits down toward the base as shown in the picture.
3. Bring 5 cups of water and 1/2 cup of salt to a rolling boil, pour it directly over the cucumbers, and let them salt for 1 hour.
Salting them in hot brine prevents the cucumbers from turning soft and keeps them crisp.
4. While the cucumbers are salting, prepare the stuffing ingredients and seasoning.
Cut the garlic chives (buchu) into about 1 cm lengths, and finely dice the onion.
Slice the red chili peppers to match the thickness and length of the garlic chives.
5. You can make a paste with glutinous rice flour and water,
or if you want to keep it simple like me, take 1/2 cup of water and 2 tbsp of leftover cold cooked rice...
6. And blend it finely in a blender to use.
It is so hot that I am even hesitant to turn on the stove burner to make glutinous rice paste.
You can also substitute anchovy broth for the glutinous rice paste.
I usually use anchovy broth, but today I added the paste so it ferments nicely.
7. Add all the stuffing ingredients (garlic chives, onion, red chili pepper) and seasoning ingredients...
8. If you mix the stuffing seasoning ahead of time before filling, the gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) will swell, creating a prettier color and letting all the flavors meld together.
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9. Rinse the salted cucumbers about twice in water and drain the moisture.
If the cucumbers were salted too long and are too salty, soaking them briefly in water to leach out a bit of salt is also a good idea.
10. Gently open the cucumber slits...
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11. Stuff in an appropriate amount of seasoning.
12. Oi sobagi (stuffed cucumber kimchi) is finished.
Making this much feels so satisfying.
Oi sobagi is delicious eaten right after making,
and just as wonderful once it ferments to a tangy perfection.
Ppunwife's tips
- Washing the cucumbers by rubbing with salt keeps their color bright.
- Salting in hot brine keeps the cucumbers crisp without letting them turn soft.
- Making the stuffing seasoning ahead of time gives the gochugaru time to swell, resulting in a deeper color and well-blended flavors.
- If the cucumbers salted for too long and taste too salty, soak them briefly in fresh water to draw out some of the salt.
FAQ
Why are the cucumbers salted in hot brine?
Pouring boiling salt water directly over the cucumbers keeps their texture from turning soft and maintains their crispness until the very last bite.
How can I replace the paste if I don't have glutinous rice flour?
You can blend half a cup of water with 2 tbsp of leftover cold cooked rice until smooth in a blender, or simply replace it with anchovy broth.
What should I do if the salted cucumbers taste too salty?
If the salting time was too long and the cucumbers turned out overly salty, soak them briefly in water to draw out the excess salt, then shake off the moisture.
What is the benefit of mixing the stuffing seasoning in advance?
Preparing the seasoning before stuffing allows the gochugaru to swell properly, giving it a vibrant color and letting all the seasoning ingredients harmonize well.
