How to Make Cucumber Kim Chi
Posted By Dr. Ben Kim on Jun 10, 2010
Update on June 10, 2010: If you enjoy Bok Choy, use clean Bok Choy leaves instead of cucumber in this recipe to create mouthwatering Bok Choy kim chi.
One of the joys of Korean cuisine is having a number of healthy and yummy side dishes to eat along with each main course.
Kim chi - fermented, spicy cabbage - is easily the most celebrated Korean side dish.
Few non-Koreans know that hundreds if not thousands of varieties of kim chi are made throughout Korea. Makes perfect sense, of course, since you can make kim chi out of most varieties of vegetables.
Why should you consider eating kim chi now and again? It's a tasty way to give your body a number of nutrients that come with raw vegetables, including those found in raw garlic.
Combine raw garlic, plenty of enzymes, and a long list of antioxidants with the probiotics that come with naturally fermented kim chi, and you have yourself a true superfood that provides a powerful strengthening effect on your immune system.
Here's a look at how my mom makes cucumber kim chi, which has long been one of my favorite dishes...
Start with about 15 to 20 small cucumbers, the kind that are used to make dill pickles. If you can't find small cucumbers, you can use about the equivalent amount of large cucumbers.
Give the cucumbers a good rinse, then chop them into bite-size pieces. Put them in a large bowl, add about two flat tablespoons of sea salt, and toss well.
Allow salted pickles to sit overnight at room temperature, or at least for a couple of hours. The salt helps draw moisture out of the cucumbers, which creates a natural brine.
Now add 1/2 to 1 full teaspoon of minced raw garlic. We use raw minced garlic that we keep in a small container in the refrigerator.
Wash and chop up three green onions - not three bunches, but three individual ribs. Not sure if they are called ribs? Cords? Hope this is clear.
Add chopped green onions to the mix.
Don't you love seeing all this green? The green onions add texture and natural sweetness to this cucumber kim chi dish.
For a little extra sweetness, chop up 1/4 of a small to medium yellow onion.
And add it to the mix.
If you're worried about the sharp bite that raw onions have, stop worrying right now. Once given a day or two to naturally ferment, the onion loses most of its sharpness. But it doesn't lose any of its flavor, so unless you really have something against onions, go ahead and add some.
Now the part that makes any kim chi a real, authentic kim chi: add two flat tablespoons of fine red chili flakes.
I don't know whether to call this red chili flakes or powder. It's not really a powder...the flakes are really fine. Koreans call it ko choo kah rhoo, which literally means ground hot peppers.
If at all possible, please get some of this stuff from a local Korean grocery store so that you can be sure that you have the right kind for making kim chi. You can add ko choo kah rhoo to any number of dishes, of course, like miso soup and seasoned green beans. Koreans add ko choo kah rhoo to just about everything.
Did I mention that ko choo kah rhoo is extremely rich in vitamin C?
Now add a teaspoon of vinegar.
Next, put on a pair of gloves (to protect your skin against the heat of the ko choo kah rhoo) and give everything a good toss. Here's about what it should look like when you're done tossing:
Oops, forgot to add a little extra hint of sweetness. Just a tablespoon of honey will do, please.
You can actually add the honey before the first good toss...we just forgot.
Here's a good look at the glorious kim chi brine that is naturally created as you go through the steps in this recipe.
Once the kim chi has fermented and is kept in the refrigerator, this brine is a real treat on hot days. Just one spoonful after a meal makes you feel like everything is going to be okay.
Now pack your cucumber kim chi away into glass bottles, and don't forget to add a bit of brine to each one - just a couple of tablespoons of brine per bottle will do.
Here's a close-up just before we cap it and put this baby to rest for a day or two.
All that's left to do at this point is to leave your bottles of cucumber kim chi out in room temperature for 24 to 48 hours to give it a chance to ferment. After 24 to 48 hours, transfer the bottles to your refrigerator.
Dish some out, just like this, whenever you need a little kim chi to spice up a meal:
And the next time you make kim chi, feel free to be creative and try a different cut. For example, instead of chopping the cucumbers up into rough chunks, you can slice them into thinner, longer strips, which look really nice with a bowl of noodles. Here's what I mean:
For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, one that doesn't come with pictures, click here:
For a look at how my mom makes traditional cabbage kim chi, view:
Enjoy!
|
To receive newly published articles and recipes like this one, stay in touch with us via    
|
||
|
Please Rate This
|
||
Most E-mailed |
Related Posts |
|||
Dr. Ben Kim's Newsletter
Dr. Ben Kim Says:
I have to admit that at
I have to admit that at first glance, the name of this nice side dish turned me off a bit. After reading through the article on how to make it and seeing the finished product I REALLY want to try it :) It looks tasty!
Sounds delicious !
I've been receiving your delightful newsletters for a few months and this is my first time to post.
I want to thank you and your Mother for these recipes with such outstanding photography. I'm so anxious to try this, and your directions make it sound simple. We live in PA and I make raw sauerkraut which my husband and I enjoy, and it's also available at many growers' markets during autumn. We generally have a little before our evening meal now and then.
Those tasty little cucumbers are available now so this will be a nice change for us.
One thing I'm wondering about; I have chili powder but it's not so hot that it requires gloves, so I'm wondering if I need a different type or if you are referring to cayenne red pepper. If so, that may be a bit hotter than we'd like.
I'll be looking forward to more recipes. Thanks so much for taking time to offer such nice information.
chili powder
Hi Ann...I'm glad that these recipe pictorials are helpful. We definitely have a good time taking photos in the kitchen. :)
If at all possible, I recommend that you try to get some ko choo kah rhoo at a Korean grocery store. They're usually labeled as "red pepper powder."
You can use just a small amount at first and add more if you like a little extra heat. The amount that we've suggested here creates a mild spicy flavor.
Good luck!
Ben
Yummy!
Thanks so much for posting this! This is one of my favorite Korean side dishes. As far as the chili flakes go, the Korean ko choo kah rhoo is not as spicy as the cayenne. I just learned this. I tried making some kim chi jjigae using cayenne and oh my goodness was it hot!! I think the Korean red pepper flakes are milder. Don't get me wrong, it's still spicy, just not as potent. Can't wait to make this!!!
Yer cuke kim chee.
Hi. Is chili flakes the same thing as cayenne pepper (ground up)? As you can see, I know less than nothing about spicy peppers. I can't wait to concoct some of this when the cukes in my garden are ready. Also, my garden has garlic, green onions & regular onions so this will really be a home-made food.
Can't wait for more from the senior Mrs. Kim.
Well done and thanks for sharing this recipe.
I love the way you share your recipes especially capturing and sharing the photos and in that way it's so easy for us to understand and follow the procedure.
It is always very interesting to look at the pictures. Keep it up.
I tasted a Korean kimchi but this time i will try using cayenne pepper for a change and see the difference. At least I know now how make kimchi.
Thanks for sharing all the good articles and keeping us healthy.
recipe photos
I just love how the recipes are photographed with step by step instructions. It helps to see just how a dish is supposed to look as you are preparing. Hope you continue to do this.
Re: Cucumber Kim Chi Recipe
Hi All,
I just wanted to say I've been getting your newsletter for years and love it.
I have an adopted Korean son and when he came home to us I began a journey into Korean culture and cooking. What a delightful experience. I encourage everyone to go to their nearest Asian market and talk to the owner. They are usually more than helpful to explain about the different foods they sell and use. And, yes, the Asian chili flakes ARE different from the American version. But DO try some of the foods there. It is like going on an exotic trip without travelling the distance! I have also used a most wonderful cookbook for many years..."The Korean Kitchen" by Copeland Marks and Manjo Kim.
Life's an adventure...enjoy!
Spicey pickled cucumber recipe
Dear Dr. Kim,
If Peter Piper picked a peck of your spicy, pickled, cucumbers, he'd be perfectly peppy all day. This is a great raw recipe. Red peppers increase blood circulation to the brain. We could all use some of that!
Best Regards,
Teresa
Kim chi storage
Hello, the Kim Chi looks fabulous!
How long will this keep?
I would like to make this, from my soon-to-be-abundant cucumber crop, and give it away as gifts. Currently I am making cornichon (The little, super-sour, French pickles) out of them, but some variety would be nice too.
cucumber kimchi
hi dr. kim,
the kimchi looks delicious. i want to make some today, but don't the cucumbers need to be completely covered in brine, or it will get moldy? that's what my mom told me.
thanks!
hyesun
Cucumber Kim Chi
Wow! Is this ever a great recipe. I make cabbage kim chi often but this is so great for summer. I have made it once and need to start another batch tomorrow. I have told many folks about it and will look for ko choo kah rhoo next time I am at an Asian Market. I work at a farm and use only the vegetables we grow. This recipe works just fine with larger cucumbers and even lemon cukes. Thank you for sharing.
cucumber kim chi
Sounds delicious going to try it today with cues from the garden. Thanks
Kochojan
I didn't have the chili powder on hand but I do keep a tub of "kochujang" -Korean red chili paste. I substituted the chili powder in your recipe with the hot paste and it seemed to come out just fine. It took a little more time to work in the paste evenly than a powder I suppose. Tastewise, it'll probably be better tomorrow!
Dr. Kim, I have been trying
Dr. Kim, I have been trying your recipes for some time and absolutely love them. Because of them I have now altered my personal description to be as follows: My skin is from Africa, my spirit is from Hawaii, and my stomach is definitely from Korea! I love that they are light, with lots of vegetables, have delicious spices and flavors, and are complimented with a side of fish (I'm mostly vegetarian, but I eat fish from time to time). Thanks so much and keep the recipes coming!
Cucumber Kimchi Recipe
Wow. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this in detail and take such beautiful photos. I can't wait to try the recipe!
Use flakes not powder
Undoubtedly Koreans are #1 in fermenting everything. In northern European countries fermenting cabbage and cucumbers before refrigeration, was done in the fall for preserving for the whole winter. The salt and the cold in the basement kept things from getting mouldy. So will keep long in your fridge. Using ground hot papers powder it does not dress the vegetables and ends up in the brine on the bottom of the JAR (not bottle). Use any hot peper flakes but not crushed hot peppers as on pizza.
I Love Oe Kimchi!
Dr. Kim:
I lived in Korea for two years when I was in my late teens and early twenties and I ate cucumber kimchi (or as you would say in Korean oe kimchi) many, many times. I always thought it was too daunting to make but your step-by-step process complete with photos was great to see and very informative. I'm going to have to try it!!!
I remember the process I used to go through when eating really hot oe kimchi with a lot of cayenne pepper:
This post brought back some good memories for me! When kimchi is really made with care, it's wonderful. This from a guy who would not touch it for the first 7 months of my time in Korea. But then I became addicted to it.
Thanks,
GR
http://www.cayennepepper.info
Ko Choo Kah Rhoo is Cayenne Pepper
Dr. Kim:
I believe ko choo kah rhoo is cayenne pepper powder. One of the many things to consider here is the natural heat of the cayenne used. Most cayenne readily available at the local health food store or grocery store is 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units. That is plenty hot for most people. Some cayenne pepper powder, though, can be as hot as 160,000. The heat in cayenne is caused by the capsaicin with the Scoville Heat Units -- SHU -- being the layman's way of interpreting the heat of the cayenne and other hot peppers.
You are right in saying how beneficial ko choo kah rhoo is for you, though. It's very, very healthy. I lived in Korea for a 1 and a half and at that time used a lot of cayenne pepper or ko choo kah rhoo.
Thanks for the recipe!
I have been a huge kimchi fan
I have been a huge kimchi fan since I was a child and was lucky enough to be introduced to several homemade varieties.
This is a great recipe ! The pics are great as well. Thanks for sharing.
Easy and Fun for kids!
Thanks SO much for posting this. My 5 year old sat next to me and made his own while I made mine. At the end he said he didn't want pepper but he wanted his sauce to be red. I didn't know what to use for him. Then HE suggested Paprika! It actually tastes alright...and easier on a five year old tongue! I told him I'd pass on the substitution for other parents who may want to try it for their non-spicy kids :).