Pickled Daikon Radish and Quick Marinated Cucumbers are the perfect sides to any Korean dish. And, they are super easy to make!
Pickled Daikon Radish:
You need a clean, quart-sized glass jar with a clean, tight lid for this recipe. You won’t need to use traditional canning methods because this is a refrigerator pickling recipe that will only last for about 10 days. You can half the recipe to make less, but I recommend the full recipe. You’ll notice that the vinegar, sugar, and water are a 1:1 ratio. Also, there is no artificial coloring in this recipe because I don’t like artificial dyes, and I’ve tried turmeric and didn’t like the taste. You won’t need the yellow color to love this side dish!
1 lb. Daikon radish, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup filtered water
Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat just until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Allow to fully cool before placing the Daikon radish slices into the brine. Make sure all slices are covered before putting the lid on your jar.
This mixture needs to marinate for 2 days before you start eating them. Then, enjoy!
NOTE: Always use a clean, metal utensil (like a metal tongs or fork) to remove pieces from the jar.
Marinated Korean Cumbers:
You can use any kind of cucumbers you like for this recipe. I like to use either Persian, Armenian, or Japanese. The smaller cucumbers with less seeds work best.
You can scale this recipes for how many cucumbers you have.
2 Persian or 1 Armenian or Japanese Cucumber, leave the peel on or peel (up to you!)
1/2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1/2 teaspoon agave or maple syrup
1/8 t sesame oil (optional) or 1/4 t toasted sesame seeds (or both!)
Mix the soy sauce, Gochujang, agave/maple syrup, and sesame oil (if using) together well in a small bowl. add in chopped cucumber and stir in well to coat all sides of them. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve!
NOTE: This is best made right before you plan to eat it. Cucumbers will not stay crispy in this sauce if left too long.