Watermelon Rind Kimchi

Watermelon Rind Kimchi? Well, I love watermelon. We eat an embarrassing amount in our house. We even used to have watermelon eating contests…and not even as a fun thing to do with our kids. Just me and my husband, don’t judge. But with copious amounts read more

Kimchi Pancake

One of the most popular Korean dishes is the Kimchi Pancake. Late night snack, savory breakfast, craveable side dish, this kimchi pancake does it all! This is peak Korean comfort food. One bite and you’ll see why, its crispy perfection will have you making this read more

Mandu

Have some kimchi laying around in the fridge that you need to use up? Try these Korean style dumplings, known as Mandu. They are stuffed with shrimp and kimchi, so they are packed with explosive flavor. And of course I serve them with a yummy dipping sauce. I even manage to squeeze some noodles into them, and I make no apologies for that. Noodles are life! So what are you waiting for?

First Make Mandu Dipping Sauce

Dipping sauces are half the fun of dumplings, whether you call them potstickers, mandu, wontons, or gyoza. And this one has the gingery, tangy, toasty flavor we all love. A little rice vinegar, some soy sauce, minced ginger and garlic, sugar and toasted sesame oil create a perfectly balanced sauce. Just mix everything together and set aside.

Make the Mandu Filling

I start with the shrimp. Since they are going to be ground, it doesn’t matter what size you use. Get whatever’s on sale! Also, it’s not necessary to grind them to paste; chunks of shrimp will give your dumplings much better texture and flavor.

I use one of my favorite noodles for this, the Korean noodle made out of sweet potato starch. They have an awesome chewy texture, and they are naturally gluten free. They can be labeled as either Japchae or Dangmyeon noodles. (Try them in my Mushroom Japchae). You can substitute with mung bean noodles (also known as bean thread noodles) if you’re at a Chinese grocery store that doesn’t carry Korean products.

Shape the Mandu

I use a very simple fold and seal to speed up the process. If you want to try your hand at a more decorative, but more labor intensive dumpling, I give detailed instructions in the note section on how to make the pretty pleats.

Repeat with the rest of the filling, which should yield about 3 dozen dumplings. (Do you see a couple of dumplings that don’t match in the photo below? This is what happens when other people want to help you! 😉 You can freeze some at this point, and I give instructions for that in the note section. Having delicious homemade dumplings in the freezer ready to go for a last minute craving is like money in the bank. The best part is not having to defrost the dumplings before cooking. They go straight into the pan from the freezer. Add a couple more minutes of cooking time and you’re good to go.

Cooking the Mandu

Dumplings in Korea can be deep fried, pan fried, boiled, or steamed. I give directions for boiling them, which creates a softer dumpling. I prefer them pan fried; I love the crispy wrapper which contrasts with the soft interior, but you do you.

Then I add a little water to the pan and cover it with a lid. This creates steam which helps to ensure the filling is cooked all the way through. After a couple minutes, once the water has evaported I take the lid off and let the mandu crisp up a little bit before serving.

These shrimp and kimchi mandu are crispy, spicy, and make a terrific starter. Or just eat a plateful and call it dinner. It will be our secret. Let me know what you think by rating and commenting on the recipe below. And don’t forget to show off your gorgeous dumplings by tagging us @funkyasiankitchen; we love seeing your creations!

Mandu

Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: makes 36 dumplings 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1 package dumpling skins
neutral oil for pan frying

Filling:

½ pound shrimp (you can use any size since you will be chopping them up)
1 egg, divided
2 teaspoons potato starch (can also use corn starch)
2 ounces dried sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon)
¼ yellow onion minced
½ cup chopped garlic chives (2 oz. about ¼ of a large bunch)
1 cup kimchi, squeezed tightly to eliminate juice and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Dipping Sauce:

2 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil

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Instructions

Make the dipping sauce:

Combine the garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the filling:

In a food processor, place the shrimp, egg white (save the yolk for later), potato starch, garlic, and ginger into the bowl.
Pulse 8-10 times until roughly chopped. Transfer to a large bowl.
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the sweet potato starch noodles and lower the heat to medium high.
Simmer the noodles for 6-8 minutes until the noodles are chewy and do not have a hard core (taste one to check).
Strain the noodles into a colander and rinse under running water to cool.
Then put the noodles into some paper towels to dry off the noodles.
Chop the noodles into small ¼ inch pieces and add them to the shrimp mixture.
Add the minced onion, chives, kimchi, ginger, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, salt, and pepper to the shrimp bowl.
With clean hands or a spoon, mix the ingredients well.

Make the Mandu/Dumplings:

Put the egg yolk into a small bowl and whisk well with a fork.
Take one dumpling wrapper and brush half of the edge with the egg wash. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of filling onto the wrapper.
Fold the wrapper over and seal the edges. This makes a simple half coin dumpling.*
Set the dumpling aside on a tray and keep making more dumplings until all of the filling has been used up. You will yield approximately 36 dumplings.

Pan Frying the Dumplings:

Heat a pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add a Tablespoon or two of oil (depending on the size of the pan you are using) and swirl to coat the pan.
Add as many dumplings as will fit the pan without the dumplings touching.
Cook the dumplings for 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip them and brown the other side for 1 minute.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and cover the pan with a lid. Cook with a lid and cook for 2 more minutes until the water has evaporated.
Take off the lid and cook for an additional minute to re-crisp the skin. Transfer the mandu to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce.

Boiled Mandu:

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a 4 quart pot over high heat.
Add 8-10 dumplings and cook for 2-3 minutes until the dumplings float to the surface.
Scoop them out with a slotted spoon or spider, letting the water drain back into the pot.
Repeat with more dumplings as desired.
Transfer the dumplings to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce.

Notes

*If you would prefer to make more decorative mandu, place 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and then holding the dumpling with your left hand (if you are right handed), pleat the dumplings by pushing the dough with your left index and middle fingers to create a fold and then pulling it with your right index finger, pinching gently to form a pleat. Seal the pleat by pinching it firmly with the right index finger and thumb. Keep folding and sealing 6-7 times across the top of the dumpling until you have a row of beautiful pleats. It takes a little practice to make it work, but keep trying. All misshapen dumplings taste amazing too!

*You can freeze any dumplings you do not plan on consuming immediately. Put them on a tray so they are not touching. Freeze them for 6-8 hours until they are frozen solid. Bang the tray on the kitchen counter to loosen the dumplings and transfer them to a zip top freezer bag or an airtight container. You should cook them straight from frozen, adding 2-3 more minutes to the cooking time.

Kimchi Rice

As a restaurant family, we frequently eat quite late at night. And there’s nothing more comforting after a looong day than a big bowl of Kimchi Rice. Carbs, delicious carbs! It’s also super quick to pull together, especially if you have leftover rice in the read more

Kimchi Stew

Maybe the word “stew” conjures images of a bland and boring bowl of overcooked gray meat. Well, Kimchi Stew is going to change that! Vividly red, packed with spicy and funky flavor, this recipe will change the way you view stews forever. Kimchi Stew, or read more

Radish Kimchi

Kimchi has become something of an international sensation in the last few years. And with people all over the world “discovering” it, and adding their own touches, I’ve seen everything from Kimchi Toast to (heaven help us) Kimchi Ice Cream. No doubt, I’m sure a Kimchi frappuccino is right around the corner. But at its heart, kimchi still remains what it has always been- fermented spicy vegetables, a Korean staple, and a shining example of Asian funky deliciousness. Radish Kimchi is a fast, flavorful, and exciting condiment.

Let my Radish Kimchi recipe show you how easy it is to make authentic kimchi at home, even if you’ve never tried your hand at pickling or fermenting before. Radish Kimchi is packed with probiotics (which we’re all supposed to be eating more of), quick to prepare, and only gets better with age.

A Twist On A Classic

Traditionally, radish kimchi is pickled either using whole baby sized radishes with their stems or cubed. I prefer shredded radish because I use my radish kimchi in a lot of different ways (coming soon!) such as a topping for ramen, mixed into salads, and as a condiment for rice bowls; therefore, I find the shreds to be more versatile. Plus, the thin shreds means that the fermenting process happens more quickly, and who wouldn’t want to eat it as soon as possible?

Let’s Get Fermenting!

Key Ingredients

Korean Red Pepper Flakes

While you can make a kimchi with just about any vegetable (or fruit) you can think of, there is one ingredient that is indispensable. Gochugaru, or Korean red pepper flakes, really have no substitute. Gochugaru is ground to a light coarse consistency and gives kimchi its characteristic bright red hue. It can range from mild (which still has heat) to hot. I use hot at home, because we all love spicy foods. But if you are worried about the heat level, and it will get spicier as it ferments, choose a mild one. I suggest getting milder chili flakes rather than using less because you will lose the bright red color characteristic of kimchi if you cut down on the quantity of the chili pepper.

When purchasing gochugaru, choose one that has a bright red color (not a dull reddish brown) at a store where you know there’s a lot of turnover on the product. You want the freshest bag you can find. Furthermore, it is important that you purchase the flakes and not the finely milled powder, which looks like cayenne, and is used in making Gochujang, the hot pepper paste.

Sometimes, the translation on the package may be inaccurate so take a peek through the window on the package and confirm that you see chili flakes. Although purchasing at a Korean grocery store is best and least expensive, if you have none in your area, Tae-kyung is a brand widely available online.

Korean Radish

Korean radish is a large, mild white radish used in all kinds of dishes including soups and side dishes. It is shorter and rounder than daikon, but either can be used for this radish kimchi. I start by peeling it, cutting it into 2 inch pieces, and then making thin slices. Then stack the slices and cut into matchsticks.

Alternatively, you could also use a mandoline for this if you prefer. The inexpensive Asian mandolines make quick work of julienning vegetables and that’s what we use to shred pounds of veggies when we make kimchi at the restaurant.

Once you have your lovely radish matchsticks, put them in a bowl, add the salt and sugar, and toss to combine. It will sit for 30 minutes, creating a brining liquid. Give it a stir now and again.

Some Like It Hot (and Funky)

Meanwhile, you will make the kimchi base. Garlic, ginger, fish sauce, scallions and gochugaru- all strong and assertive flavors on their own, but put them together and funky magic happens. First mix them all together in a large bowl. Then, you will scoop the radish out of its brine, and add the radish to the kimchi base. Finally, measure out 2/3rds cup of the brining liquid, and add it to the bowl.

The best way to mix it all up is with your hands, but you definitely want to use gloves: not only to prevent the painful tragedy of accidentally rubbing your eyes with a chili flecked finger, but also because the Korean pepper flakes will dye your hands a bright red. Mix it for several minutes, making sure to get all the veggies at the bottom of the bowl coated with the spice mixture.

Pack It Up!

Once your radish kimchi is thoroughly mixed, it’s ready to be ladled into clean jars. I use glass jars, because plastic ones will absorb the red color and it will never wash out. Frankly, you don’t need any special kind of fermenting jar; any glass jar with a lid will work. Fill the jar with the kimchi, leaving an inch at the top. It will expand as it ferments, so don’t let your (kimchi) cups runneth over. Really pack the kimchi down into the jar, so there are no air pockets that could lead to spoilage. Then use a paper towel to clean the headspace you left, and put on the lid.

Repeat with the remaining kimchi, and you’re done! You can enjoy it right away, as a fresh and flavorful salad. Or you can let it sit in the fridge where it will start to take on the characteristic funky and sour notes of fermented kimchi. Serve it alongside other vegetables dishes like my Korean Style Bean Sprouts and Funky Spicy Green Beans for a fun take on Meatless Monday. Or top a bowl of rice with Perfect Fried Eggs and some kimchi for a quick meal.

You are going to love Radish Kimchi, and I hope it opens up new doors of delicious fermented foods for you to enjoy! If you make it, we want to know. Leave a comment, or tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, show us the goods!

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