Crunchy Musaengchae (Spicy Radish Salad) That Stays Dry
A spicy and tangy Korean radish salad seasoned after drawing out moisture with salt and corn syrup for an extra crunchy texture.
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 →
The secret is salting the radish with both corn syrup and salt, which draws out maximum moisture without leaving sweetness behind. Squeezing out every bit of liquid keeps water from pooling over time and locks in a delightfully crunchy bite. It is also wonderful tossed into warm rice with cheonggukjang or doenjang jjigae.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Korean radish (mu)1/4 piece, 500 g (large radish)
- Large green onion (daepa)a little
- Salt2/3 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)3 tbsp
Seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Fish sauce (or sand lance, dried anchovies)1 tbsp
- Vinegar1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1/2 tbsp
- Combine the julienned radish with 2/3 tbsp salt and 3 tbsp corn syrup, mix evenly, and let it pickle for 30 minutes.
- Squeeze out the moisture with all your strength, then toss with 2 tbsp gochugaru and rest for 10 minutes to let the color soak in.
Steps
Prepare 500g of Korean radish and a little bit of large green onion.
Julienne the radish to 0.5cm thick, not too thick.
Toss the julienned radish with 2/3 tbsp salt and 3 tbsp corn syrup until evenly coated, then let it pickle for 30 minutes.
While the radish pickles, finely chop the large green onion.
A huge amount of moisture will be drawn out of the radish as it pickles.
The salt used for pickling softens the radish and seasons it lightly, while the corn syrup works purely to pull out the radish's moisture, so no sweetness is absorbed at all, and squeezing the liquid out firmly creates a crunchy texture.
Squeeze out the moisture with all your strength, add 2 tbsp gochugaru, and let it sit for 10 minutes so the color soaks in.
Once the radish takes on the red color from the gochugaru, add 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp fish sauce (sand lance or anchovy), 1 tbsp vinegar, and 1 tbsp sugar.
Toss everything together evenly, adjust the seasoning with salt if it tastes bland, and finish by mixing in 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil.
Ppunwife's tips
- The salt added during pickling softens the radish and seasons it lightly, while the corn syrup works purely to draw out the radish's moisture, so no sweetness seeps in at all and squeezing out the liquid firmly gives it a wonderfully crunchy texture.
- Pickling with corn syrup and salt to remove moisture and tossing it like this keeps water from pooling almost entirely and makes it delicious.
FAQ
Does pickling with corn syrup make the radish sweet?
The corn syrup only works to pull water out of the radish, so the sweetness does not soak in, leaving only a delightfully crunchy texture.
What kind of fish sauce should I use?
You can use 1 tbsp of whichever you have at home to your taste, either sand lance fish sauce or anchovy fish sauce.
Why do you toss the radish with gochugaru first instead of mixing it with the other seasonings?
Tossing the squeezed radish with gochugaru first and letting it rest for about 10 minutes allows the beautiful red color to soak in evenly.
How thick should the radish be sliced?
It is best to julienne it to about 0.5cm thick so it is not too thick.
