Kohlrabi Kimchi (Kkakdugi): Crunchy, Easy Korean Radish Kimchi Alternative
Make authentic Korean radish kimchi (kkakdugi) using crisp, sweet kohlrabi! This easy, small-batch recipe is perfect for fermentation beginners and anyone outside Korea. Includes vegan option.
Servings: 1.7 liter-container (1.8 quarts)
Equipment
- 1 1.7 liter-container (1.8 quarts) or slightly larger
Ingredients
Main:
- 1 kg kohlrabi peeled weight; approx. 1.3 kg unpeeled bulbs, or 1.6 kg with full leaves
- 20 g coarse sea salt about 1⅓ tbsp
- 20 g green onion cut into 2 cm pieces, split thick parts
Seasoning Paste:
- 3½ tbsp gochugaru Korean red chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup water for flour slurry: substitute flour with 1 tablespoon glutinous rice powder (or regular rice powder) for gluten-free
- 1/2 red apple about 100 g
- 1/2 onion about 50 g
- 3 garlic cloves crushed, then minced (around 1½ tablespoons minced garlic)
- 1 slice ginger about 3 g
- 1/2 tbsp saeu-jeot salted shrimp
- 1 tbsp anchovy sauce
- For vegan version: 1 tbsp guk-ganjang (Korean light soy sauce) + 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt + 1 tbsp jocheong (rice syrup) instead of saeu-jeot and anchovy sauce
To finish:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Prep the kohlrabi
- Peel and dice into 1.5-2 cm cubes.
- Toss with salt and let sit for 20 minutes. Mix again and rest another 20 minutes.
- Drain well (no need to rinse) for 10 minutes.
Make the seasoning paste
- Make the flour slurry: Whisk flour and water until smooth, then simmer over low heat until thickened (2-3 minutes).
- Let cool, then mix in half of the gochugaru (1½ tablespoons)
- Blend the aromatics: In a blender, combine apple and onion. Blend until smooth. Add garlic and ginger, then pulse until finely minced.
Mix the kimchi
- In a large bowl, combine the drained kohlrabi with the rest of the gochugaru (2 tablespoons). Add the gochugaru slurry, blended seasoning, saeu-jeot, anchovy sauce (or vegan substitute), green onion, and small kohlrabi leaves (if adding). Gently Toss to combine everything.
Pack and finish
- Transfer to a clean container. Pour ½ cup water into the mixing bowl to rinse remaining seasoning and pour into the container. Add ½ tsp salt and press gently to remove air pockets. You can place a fermentation weight on top.
Fermentation
- Leave at room temperature for 1–2 days (half a day in summer) until bubbles form. Then refrigerate for 3–4 more days to ferment in lower temperatures. After that, you can start eating it. It keeps for up to 3 months in the fridge.