For a long time, we had wanted to make this oi sobagi banchan (cucumber kimchi side dish), but our neighborhood grocery store never had Kirby cucumbers.
| Prep Time: | 25 mins |
| Cook Time: | 5 mins |
| Additional Time: | 1 day 1 hr |
| Total Time: | 1 day 1 hr 30 mins |
| Servings: | 20 |
| Yield: | 20 servings |
Ingredients
- 10 Kirby cucumbers, trimmed and halved
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup coarse sea salt
- 1 cup Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon salted fermented shrimp (saewujeot)
- 2 cups garlic chives, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 radish, cut into matchstick-size pieces, or to taste
- 1 pinch sesame seeds, or to taste
Instructions
- Place cucumbers onto one end, slice in half down the length to create and x-shape, leaving the last 1/4-inch uncut; place into a bowl. Combine 8 cups water and sea salt in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Pour brine mixture onto the cucumbers; brine until flavors combine, about 1 hour.
- Combine red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup water, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and fermented shrimp in a bowl; mix until sauce is thoroughly combined.
- Rinse cucumbers in cold water; place in a colander to drain. Sit until semi-dry, about 10 minutes.
- Lather cucumbers with sauce, inside and out, making sure to stuff the x-shaped cut as well. Place cucumbers, chives, radish, and sesame seeds in an air-tight container. Let sit at room temperature until flavors combine, 1 to 2 days; refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of brine. The actual amount of brine consumed will vary.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 33 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 1 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Sodium | 4450 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 1 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |