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Cucumber Kimchi
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cuisine Korean, oriental
Ingredients
  
  • medium coarse sea salt
  • 8 small cucumbers
Kimchi paste
  • 1 heaped tablespoon Korean chilli-flakes or Mexican Guajillo or Kashmiri
  • 2cm piece fresh ginger root
  • 3-4 cloves of` garlic
  • 2 carrots peeled, topped, tailed and finely julienned into matchsticks
  • 1 daikon or mooli (Asian radish) or 1 large white turnip, peeled
  • 2-3 scallions or Asian chives
Rice Gruel (optional)
  • 1 heaped tablespoon rice flour millet and corn also work well
  • 1/2 tea-cup water
Seasoning And Other Condiments
  • light soy sauce to taste
  • 1-2 tsp brown sugar, honey or other sweeteners such as rice or agave syrup (optional)
  • 1 level tablespoonful sweet white miso or the left over juice from your previous kimchi (optional)
Instructions
 
Salt The Cucumbers
  • Wash the cucumbers. With a sharp knife make two cuts lengthways keeping the base of each cucumber intact
  • Rub the cucumbers with salt outside and in. Rest for 2-3 hours
  • Discard the water extracted by the salting process and wash away most of the salt
Meanwhile Make The Rice Gruel
  • Mix the flour and water until smooth, put in a small saucepan and cook until thickened. The gruel should be fairly thin. Allow to cool.
Prepare The Kimchi Paste
  • In a blender, chopper or mortar and pestle work the garlic and ginger into a paste. Add the chilli, soy sauce, sweetener and optional miso or juice from the previous kimchi, then mix in the rice gruel.
  • Toss the vegetable matchsticks and scallions / chives into the kimchi paste , coating well
  • Stuff the cucumbers generously with the paste and place in a clean, dry tapaware box or a sterilized jar
Allow To Ferment
  • Rest the kimchi overnight in a cool room (10-14o C) then keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Cucumber Kimchi is a delicious accompaniment to any meal