Korean Water Kimch

"Water kimchi (mul kimchi)" is a refreshing, lightly fermented Korean dish made with vegetables and a tangy brine. Unlike spicy red kimchi, it's mild, slightly sweet and perfect as a cool, probiotic-rich side dish. It's great for digestion and goes well with heavy or spicy foods!

[Total time]

10 mins

[Ingredients] Serves 3-4

1. Daikon radish ... 5cm

2. cucumber
3. celery stalk (leaves removed)
4. 1/2 carrot
5. radishes
6. 1/2 zucchini
7. 1/2 pear
*Ingredients are examples. Vegetables of your choice, together make 650g.

8. 1 clove garlic
9. 2 hawk's claws
10. 500ml rice water
11. 13 g salt (2% of vegetable weight)

[Step1]

Wash the rice and bring the water for the second or third rinse to the boil and left to cool.

[Tips] The first rinse water should be discarded to wash away dirt and small debris, and the second or third rinse water should be used. The water used to wash the rice becomes food for lactic acid bacteria and fermentation takes place.

[Step2]

Cut each vegetable to be pickled into 3mm thick round slices or half-moon slices, depending on the size of the vegetable. If you have time, expose the vegetables to the wind for a while to evaporate the water, which makes the vegetables richer and tastier.

[Step3]

Thinly slice the garlic and remove the seeds from the hawk's claw.

This time I will also add grated ginger to the recipe.

[Step4]

After all the ingredients are combined, add the rice rinse water at the end, mix, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and wait for fermentation. The temperature at which lactic acid bacteria work best is around 20℃ to 30℃. If it is summer, try to ferment overnight at room temperature, and if it is winter, try to ferment for a whole day. The standard for completion is to take a little of the brine and taste not only saltiness but also a mixture of sourness and umami.
If the fermentation is to your liking, you can put it in the fridge and keep it for about a week.