Mool Kim Chi Recipe

Ingredients:

1 small Daikon radish, skin removed, chopped into 1/4 to 1/8-inch bite-size pieces
1 bunch of green onions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 Fuji apple, chopped into 1/8-inch slices
1/2 Asian pear (crispy), chopped into 1/8-inch slices
2 pieces of ginger, about 2 inches long each, skin removed
1/2 yellow onion
6 cloves of garlic, left whole
3 small hot red peppers, green stems cut off but otherwise left whole
2 tablespoons of sea salt
64 ounces of cold water

Directions:

1. Wash all vegetables well and chop into the sizes indicated in the ingredients list above.

2. Add all solid ingredients to a jar that you have a tight-fitting lid for. If you need to use two or more jars, split the ingredients equally between your jars.

3. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of sea salt in cold water, then add your salt water to the jar(s) of vegetables and fruits.

4. Secure lids on jars and store on your kitchen counter for 24 to 48 hours or until you see a little bubbling of the brine - at this point, transfer your mool kim chi into the refrigerator and ladle out portions as needed, served cold.

Please note that just a small bowl - 4 ounces or so - goes a long way, and most Koreans only ingest the brine, radish, pear and apple - the other ingredients remain in the jar to continue to contribute flavor and nutrient-value. Most have mool kim chi along with a meal, though some have it as an appetizer or even as a palate cleanser toward the end of a meal.

If you prefer more heat and colour to your mool kim chi, chop the hot red peppers into small pieces before adding the salt water.

To view a pictorial of this recipe, please go here:

How to Make Mool Kim Chi