Refreshing Yeolmu Mulkimchi (Young Summer Radish Water Kimchi)
A summer water kimchi made with young summer radish fermented in a light, refreshing broth blended with anchovy broth and flour paste.
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 water kimchi is made by salting young summer radish to preserve its crisp texture and pouring over a broth mixed with savory anchovy broth and flour paste. Blending red chili pepper and aromatics and straining them through a sieve creates a clear, clean broth. It is wonderful served as a summer delicacy alongside thin wheat noodles or bibimbap.
- Servings
- about 10–12 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Young summer radish (yeolmu)1 bunch, 1.5 kg
- Onion1 (medium)
- Green chili pepper5
- Red chili pepper3
- Coarse sea salt2/3 cup
Water kimchi broth ingredients
- Anchovy broth10 cups
- Water5 cups
- Flour (or glutinous rice) paste5 cups
- Red chili pepper5
- Garlic20 cloves
- Ginger1 knob
- Salt4 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
Flour (or glutinous rice) paste
- Water5 cups
- Flour (or glutinous rice flour)2/3 cup
- Remove any messy parts, cut away roots that are too thin to use, and discard the textureless leaf tips.
- To preserve texture, salt for about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours so the stems do not wilt too much.
Steps
Remove any messy parts, cut away the roots that are too thin to use,
and slice the radish into bite-sized lengths of 4 to 5 cm.
I discarded the textureless leaf tips.
Wash 3 to 4 times until the water runs clear, then roughly drain.
Spread a layer of young summer radish in a bowl, scatter about 2 tbsp of coarse sea salt evenly by hand,
and repeat the process by layering radish and sprinkling salt.
To preserve the texture, salt for about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours so the radish stems do not wilt too much.
First, mix the flour and water well so that no lumps form,
then place over low heat and simmer into a thick paste, and let it cool.
For the secondary ingredients to go into the radish, thinly slice the onion, and thinly slice the red chili pepper and green chili pepper diagonally.
Grind the water kimchi broth ingredients—garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper—in a blender; you can pour in some of the anchovy broth or water from the broth ingredients
and blend finely.
Having turned the young summer radish over once halfway through salting,
once fully salted, rinse it once and place it in a sieve to drain the water.
Now let us make the water kimchi broth.
Add salt and sugar to the anchovy broth and stir to dissolve.
Pour in the prepared flour paste, mix evenly, and strain through a sieve if there are any lumps.
Pour the blended mixture (red chili pepper, garlic, ginger) into the broth as well;
if you dislike chewing on seasoning residue, you can strain it through a sieve like I did and discard the solids.
Finally, taste it one last time and add extra seasoning if needed.
Evenly mix the salted, drained young summer radish and the sliced secondary ingredients (onion, green chili pepper, red chili pepper),
then pour in the water kimchi broth.
At temperatures close to early summer these days, if you prepare it in the evening, it will ferment just right
by the next morning.
You can adjust the fermentation time according to your preference.
Ppunwife's tips
- To preserve the texture, salt for about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours so the radish stems do not wilt too much.
- If you dislike chewing on seasoning residue, strain it through a sieve like I did and discard the solids.
FAQ
How should I salt the young summer radish to keep the stems crisp?
To keep the stems from wilting excessively, sprinkle salt in layers and salt for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, turning it over once halfway through.
How do I make the water kimchi broth clear and clean rather than murky?
When adding finely blended red chili pepper, garlic, and ginger to the broth, dissolve them through a sieve and discard the remaining solids to keep the broth clean.
Can I use glutinous rice paste instead of flour paste?
Yes, you can make and use paste made from glutinous rice flour instead of flour paste.
