Korean Radish Salad (Musaengchae)
Winter – or late autumn – vegetables are scarce and can quickly become boring (especially for someone who doesn’t like pumpkin), but luckily there is daikon, the Asian long white radish. It can be served raw or cooked, but it is only the former which, thanks to its spiciness and crunchiness, reminds me of the spring pink radish. I have always liked the way for example Radish Kimchi stops me from feeling heavy and sleepy after hearty meals. This quick and refreshing salad is one of the rare Korean dishes not really requiring exotic food ingredients (apart from the sesame oil which can be easily skipped) and as such it can be served with many, not only Korean dishes. It should be prepared with “mu”, white Korean radish, which is shorter and plumpier than daikon, but I have never seen it sold, so daikon was the only choice I had. I do not complain though because it’s excellent this way too.
I found this recipe in my Korean cookery book (The Food and Cooking of Korea by Young Jin Song) and have only slightly modified it, but its versions vary a lot on internet. I have seen it with ginger, garlic, green onions… so feel free to modify it, as long as the ingredients stay Korean (whatever it may mean!).
Yesterday I saw Hiroyuki (Hiroyuki’s Blog on Japanese Cooking) posted his wife’s Daikon and Tuna salad. I thought it was a funny coincidence to discover two new appetising daikon dishes in one week. Hiroyuki’s wife’s salad is completely different, but very tempting so click here to check it or wait until I post it on my blog 😉 .
TIP: The salad does contain chili powder, but the amount and the hotness level depend on your personal choice of course (you can use sweet paprika too). The last batch (several big bags) of Korean chili powder I bought proved to be only slightly hot, so I can use more of it without obtaining fiery results.
Preparation: 10 minutes
Ingredients (serves 2 if it’s the only side-dish):
200 g/about 7 oz very cold white Korean radish or daikon
Dressing:
1 teaspoon delicate vinegar (I have used rice vinegar but it can be cider vinegar too)
1/2 teaspoon sugar (I have used agave syrup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Korean chili powder (or any other chili powder)
(1/2 teaspoon sesame oil)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
toasted sesame seeds
Cut up the radish into matchsticks or grate it on a mandolin or with a special shredder.
Combine the dressing ingredients and stir into the radish.
Serve immediately sprinkled with sesame seeds or put into the fridge and serve it later (it tastes better cold).
First of all, how pretty! I agree, as produce begins to dwindle and the choices become more limited, inspiration can be hard to come by. Thankfully we have Sissi to the rescue! :). I love anything that can be fashioned into a crunchy coleslaw/kimchi like concoction. I find it immensely satisfying not only as a salad but also as a bed for delicious sauces and proteins. The chilis and toasted sesame seeds give this dish a beautiful, festive glow!
Thank you so much, Kelly. I was worried that daikon wouldn’t be too appetising… I envy all those people who are excited by the pumpkins and squashes I really am not fan of… I am planning to find some more daikon recipes this winter. It’s cheap, healthy and I like it, so I should really work harder to multiply its use in my kitchen.
Very nice photo.
I usually prepare carrots in sort of a similar way – use salt, vinegar and chilli, and sometimes add oil. So I know this radish salad must be really delicious. Very refreshing and it makes you feel healthier.
You say the chili powder was slightly hot. Is it also because your tolerance is increasing and now all chili’s are starting to become less hot for you???:)
Thanks a lot, MR. Three-Cookies (it certainly doesn’t beat your artistic beetroot soup decoration though! I don’t think I will ever forget it). Carrots sound here like an excellent idea! Thank you for the tip.
My resistance to hotness level does increase, but it’s a slow process. In this case, this chili powder is very disappointing (and I have bought three huge bags!). I absolutely wanted Korean style powder (rather flakes than powder) and had no idea it was only slightly hot and not simply hot. The previous Korean chili I used was hotter. Now when I make chili oil, I mix this powder with Thai dried chili because otherwise it wouldn’t be hot at all.
What a lovely salad, Sissi, and something I would enjoy I am certain. I have seen daikon at the market but have not tried it…this sounds like a good entry level recipe. Another lovely dish, thank you.
Thank you so much, Eva. I’m sure you would like it. Daikon is widely available in Europe for many years now, and it normal supermarkets too (I think I saw it in a standard supermarket 15 years ago for the first time!). It’s healthy, cheap and quite versatile, so I hope I can present soon some more daikon recipes.
Mm, I love this – it’s one of the things they serve as an accompaniment in my favourite Korean barbecue restaurant, so I know full well how delicious it is. Love the crunch of Japanese (or Korean, haha) radish. Great job Sissi, and a wonderful photo once again… I love the little tray.
Thank you again, Charles, for the compliments (I was lucky again! because I haven’t changed my camera really). I’m glad you like my photo.
This salad is one of the many Korean dishes I taste for the first time in my own house 😉 I wonder how it tastes made by a real Korean chef though. I also wish I could find the Korean radish one day. It looks very cute actually.
So easy and delicious! I love how you plated the dish Sissi! Next time I go to the market, I will pick up some daikon and give this a try!
Thank you so much, Tessa.
Another elegant looking dish.
Thank you! And this one doesn’t require exotic ingredients 😉
Thank you for showing us your Korean daikon salad. It’s interesting to learn Korean dishes from you! (laugh) Winter is the season when daikon and hakusai (Chinese cabbage) are consumed in large quantities, at least in Japan. I hope you make a lot more different dishes “themed” on daikon and hakusai, so I can copy you (laugh).
Thank you so much, Hiroyuki. It’s funny but I learn the taste of Korean dishes also from myself (I haven’t tasted the majority in any restaurant before!). It’s actually the same with Japanese cuisine (I haven’t tried 99% of what I cook!). It’s almost like travelling for me 😉
I will certainly post more daikon dishes and you can expect your wife’s mayonnaise salad here too 😉
This sounds great! I’m a big fan of Asian flavours and making slaw of anything and everything so this would be perfect, and you’re right: very refreshing!
Thank you so much, Martyna. Strangely chilled daikon seems colder than some other vegetables (such as carrot).
Sissi, what a coincident you are sharing this recipe! We just got back from a short trip to Austin, Texas for Thanksgiving. The day before Thanksgiving we decided to eat at an old favorite Korean restaurant, to tell you the truth now that I am an OK cook, the restaurant experience has taken to another level. My husband is a picky eater to begin with, though with me becoming a cook, our little girl and I have become much more aware of tastes also. The Korean meal turned out a bit dissapointing, though some of the side dishes were good, especially the daikon salad. Will give yours a try soon!
Jeno, I am so relieved that you have a similar experience because sometimes, when I talk to friends who cook only European cuisine or who don’t cook at all, I am afraid I sound like a snobbish, haughty person when I say that I stopped eating Asian because apart from few exceptions everything I can eat in restaurants tastes worse than when I prepare it at home and costs several times more.
Korean restaurants are so expensive and have such tiny portions (you have to pay for every single tiny plate of kimchi the equivalent of a glass of wine…), I simply stopped going there. It’s so easy to cook Korean at home and it’s sooo cheap… Try this easy salad. It’s really good.
What a lovely salad! I will have to check the markets for this type of radish, this looks delicious!
Thank you.
Daikon radish is one of my favorite winter vegetables with kimchi being my favorite. And I would definitely make this salad. 🙂
Thank you, Marina. I’m glad you like daikon too.
No way would I eliminate the chili powder in this salad. Radish is already a little spicy, but it’s definite than a chili spice that I bet really complements the radish. Love this simply little salad!
Thanks a lot, MJ.
Now, you know I can appreciate this! For me, the fiery the better—great refreshing dish!!
Thank you, Squishy Monster.
I love daikon and it’s so juicy especially in winter. It’s perfect time to make salad and eat raw. That entire plate of daikon can be my side dish and I can still eat more. Very nice refreshing dish, Sissi!
Thank you so much, Nami. I’m planning to learn more daikon recipes because it’s one of the rare winter vegetables I love.
Love your simple, spicy, and pretty salad. I love Daikan radish, but have only made it
just a simple way, or just cut it in sticks, and kept it in salty water in the fridge, to snack on. Thaks for sharing this simple yummy recipe…I happen to have all the ingredients on hand, and will be trying it out!
Thank you so much, Elisabeth. I also used to lack daikon cooking ideas, but I slowly start using it more and more. It’s really a nice winter vegetable discovery.