Yeolmu (Young Summer Radish) Kimchi

 

About two years ago, a friend took me to what is now probably my favorite restaurant in LA: Hangari Bajirak Kalguksu.  Famous for their namesake soup (kalguksu, which means "knife noodles" in Korean), this place serves up a bowl of noodles so hearty and comforting you'll wish parking in Koreatown wasn't such a punishing ordeal so that you could pick some up every time you're not feeling well.

Their signature soup is deserving of the highest praise and it's likely you'll see a copycat recipe on here some day, but for now, we'll turn our attention to an overlooked part of the meal: the kimchi course that comes before the noodles hit the table.  Servers bring each guest a bowl of barley rice covered in sesame oil and 3 types of kimchi for the table: napa cabbage, korean radish, and yeolmu kimchi.  All 3 are fantastic, but it was the yeolmu kimchi that caught my attention for being a very different type of green than cabbage - was it a type of spinach I was tasting?

Turns out yeolmu is a young Korean radish, picked so small that the greens are the main thing that are consumed.  It's most commonly used for this type of kimchi, which tends to be pickled in more of a watery brine compared to napa kimchi, which generally emits its own juices.  The radish bottoms range from small to virtually non-existent, but they're perfectly good to throw in along with the leaves.  The result is a sturdier and more verdant variant on kimchi that makes for a nice change from the classic kind.

Yeolmu (Young Summer Radish) Kimchi
2 bunches yeolmu, washed
1 red jalapeño, roughly chopped
2 green jalapeños, seeded and sliced lengthwise
2 tbsp gochugaru
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp glutinous rice flour (or all purpose)
2 green onions, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/4 yellow onion, sliced into thin strips

In a large bowl, mix 1 tbsp of sea salt with 1 cup of water.  Remove stems of yeolmu and peel roots.  Slice roots into irregular 1-inch chunks.  Slice tops into 1-2 inch pieces.  Add tops and roots to salt water and mix thoroughly.  Set aside for 30-60 min, mixing occasionally.

While radish is absorbing salt, add flour to a small saucepan along with 2 tsp water.  Mix thoroughly, then place over a medium flame.  Heat until mixture starts to bubble, stirring constantly.  Allow to thicken for 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.

Add red pepper, gochugaru, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and sugar to a blender, and blend into a thick paste.  Stir in the flour and water mixture and combine thoroughly.

Drain yeolmu and rice to remove excess salt.  Add to a jar or resealable container along with onion and green onion.  Pour seasoning mixture over greens and mix thoroughly.  Seal container and leave on counter for 1-2 days to ferment.  When container releases gas upon opening and greens start to taste sour, move to fridge.  You can start consuming the kimchi immediately, but it will taste best after about a week.