Go Back
Moochae with tan bowl in background

Moochae - Easy Kimchi Alternative

Moochae, the spicy Korean radish salad, is an easy alternative to kimchi and can be whipped up in just a few minutes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Rest in fridge time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • ½ of a whole daikon
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 ½ tbsp gochugaru
  • 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • ¼ tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 large garlic clove minced

Method
 

Prepare the vegetables
  1. Peel the daikon with a vegetable peeler and then cut it lengthwise into thin slices.  Then cut the thin slices into matchsticks. 
    Julienned daikon
  2. Gently squeeze the julienned daikon over a sink to remove excess moisture.
  3. Chop the scallions into thin rounds.
Make the sauce
  1. Mix the gochugaru, fish sauce, sugar, sesame oil, salt and minced garlic in a small bowl.
Combine
  1. Add the daikon and scallions, along with the sauce, to a medium bowl.  Use your hands or a spatula to massage the sauce into the daikon.
    If you are sensitive to spice, use gloves while massaging by hand.
Rest
  1. Rest the moochae for around 30 minutes in the fridge to let it absorb the flavors.
  2. While resting in the fridge, stir the moochae once or twice in order to evenly distribute the sauce onto the radish.