Kkakdugi is a type of kimchi made from diced radish. It’s a very common kind of kimchi and often used in Korean everyday meals along with baechu kimchi (napa cabbage kimchi).
I posted a video about how to make kimchi in 2007, when I had just started using YouTube. I showed how to make both baechu kimchi and kkakdugi in a single video, but I didn’t provide exact measurements as I wasn’t accustomed to measuring things out at that time. I mentioned things like “you need 2 medium sized napa cabbages…” But I soon realized that it would be diffcult for people to make their own kimchi without knowing the exact pounds, kilos, cups and spoons etc.
So last year I posted an easy kimchi recipe that calls for 10 pounds of napa cabbage, and I tried to do my best to provide accurate measurements so that my viewers and readers could make delicious kimchi.
Now I’m posting my kkakdugi recipe today. You can make delicious kkakdugi in an hour!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Korean radish (or daikon)
- 2 tbs kosher salt
- 2 tbs sugar
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ⅔ cup Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 4 stalks of green onions, chopped
- 2 tbs minced garlic (about 5 or 6 cloves garlic)
- 1 ts minced ginger
Directions
- Peel Korean radish, rinse in cold water and pat dry.
- Cut it into ¾ to 1 inch cubes. Put into a large bowl.
- Add kosher salt and sugar, and mix well.
*tip: If you like your kkakdugi sweeter, add 1 or more extra tbs of sugar. - Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Drain the juice from the radish into a small bowl.
- Add minced garlic, minced ginger, green onions, fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, and ⅓ cup of the juice from the radish.
*tip: The amount of hot pepper flakes you use depends on your taste; use ¼ cup hot pepper flakes for a mild version. For a vegetarian version, replace fish sauce with soy sauce.
- Mix it up well until the seasonings coat the radish cubes evenly, and the radish looks juicy.
- Put the kkakdugi into a glass jar and press down on the top of it to remove any air from between the radish cubes.
- You can eat it right away, and then store it in the refrigerator. Or you can let it ferment by keeping it outside of the refrigerator for a few days. When it starts fermenting, little bubbles may appear on top of the kkakdugi and it’ll smell strong & sour. Then put it in the refrigerator.
Kkakdugi goes with kongnamulguk (soybean sprout soup) and ox bone soup.
Waiting for the juice coming out in a couple of days!
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Wow, it looks mouthwatering!
Now addicted to this crunchy radish kimchi! Making it again tonight :D
Now addicted to this crunchy radish kimchi! Making it again tonight :))
Hi Maangchi, I made radish kimchi and beef radish soup to make a “complete” Korean meal. Thank you.
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Oh you made spicy version radish and beef soup! https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/maeun-muguk I see you added more vegetables such as soybean sprouts. It looks so good!
Hi Maangchi and everyone!
I am growing Daikon in my garden and making your kimchi.
The daikon in the garden have a lot of leaves.
Do you add these to the kimchi?
This picture is a variety called Alpine Gold.
It grew to this size in 60 days in the hottest part of the year.
It’s about 1 1/4 pound and the main part is 9 inches long.
Very nice raw, not too hot, and right out of the refridgerator – so nice!
It’s kimchi now.
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Wow, the radish looks gorgeous!
When we make diced (cubed) radish kimchi, we usually use only radish but you can make different style kimchi. Check out this recipe. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/chonggak-kimchi
Kkakdugi!!!
The store had imported Korean radish on sale. It tastes sweeter than the US ones I’ve been getting lately. Sooooooo goooooooood!
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Delicious! Yes, good radish makes good kkakdugi.
Sweet, crispy, juicy, and firm radish is good quality.
Hi, I made my first pickled radish following the exact amount of ingredient. After leaving the jar outside for a day, noticed it was watery at the bottom and a lot of bubbles at the bottom. Is the pickled radish ok? Can I stir the contents at the bottom or just scooped from the top? Thanks!
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It’s fermenting, that’s OK – but press it down to remove any bubbles.
Thank you for the recipe, I used normal smaller radish, not daikon, hope it’ll turn out fine. I omit the fish sauce and used chives instead of the green onions. It smells amazing, now I just have to wait for it to ferment maybe for 3-4 days. I really love your blog and finally made a profile. Keep creating Maangchi. Love from Indonesia.
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