Musaengchae is one of the easiest and most common Korean side dishes.
A good quality Korean radish is firm, and the taste is juicy, sweet, and crunchy! Choosing a good radish is very important to make good musaengchae.
How can you know if it’s firm and juicy? The outer skin should look smooth and shiny, and not have any scratches. The best way to tell is to cut the radish in half crosswise to check inside. If the inside flesh looks like a sponge, don’t use it. It won’t be tasty at all, and the texture will be like a sponge. But do you think any store owner will let you cut their radishes ? : )
If you need make this salad for a lot of people, use the whole radish. If you’re going make a small amount, use the green part only, because it’s sweeter than the white part.
Ingredients
Korean radish (or daikon), kosher salt, vinegar, hot pepper flakes, sugar, garlic, green onion, toasted sesame seeds.
Directions
- Peel a radish and cut it into thin matchsticks.
- Put 3-3½ cups of radish matchsticks into a large bowl.
- Add 1 tbs kosher salt and mix it by hand. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze out any excess water from the radish strips.
- Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 stalk of chopped green onion, 1 tbs vinegar, 2 ts hot pepper flakes, and 2 ts sugar.
- Mix together by hand until well combined.
- Add 1 ts roasted sesame seeds and mix it up a bit more.
Transfer it to a serving plate and serve it with rice.
Source: Maangchi
