Vegan Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Kimchi) with a Japanese Twist
A crunchy, tangy vegan cucumber kimchi (oi kimchi) made with a yangnyeom (Korean seasoning paste) featuring shio koji — a fermented Japanese seasoning used here in place of fish sauce or shrimp paste.The sliced cucumber rounds soak up the sweet and savory sauce, giving each bite a satisfying crunch. Fermented slowly at room temperature for real depth of flavor.Note: Taste and adjust the yangnyeom seasonings as you go — especially the sugar, gochugaru, maesil-cheong, and gochujang.
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Mandoline
- Storage container (glass recommended)
- Pot (for rice paste)
- colander
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 300 g cucumber
- 70 g daikon
- 30 g carrot
- 6 g coarse sea salt 2% of the cucumber's weight
- 1 g coarse sea salt 1% of the daikon and carrot's weight
Rice Paste
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- 100 ml water
Seasonings (for the Yangnyeom)
- 2 tablespoon Korean plum extract (Mae-sil-cheong)
- 1 tablespoon shio koji
- 1 tablespoon coarse Korean chili powder gochugaru
- 1 tablespoon sudaki-to or any sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon gochujang (Korean chili paste) bibigo brand
- 10 g ginger grated
- 2 g garlic grated
- 2-3 g kombu (dried kelp) snipped into thin strips
Instructions
- Salt the vegetables: Cut the cucumber into 2–3 cm pieces and toss with 2% salt. Julienne the daikon and carrot and toss with 1% salt. Let everything sit at room temperature for an hour, flipping once about 30 minutes in.300 g cucumber, 70 g daikon, 30 g carrot, 6 g coarse sea salt, 1 g coarse sea salt
- Make the rice paste: In a pot, whisk rice flour and water together until smooth. Heat over medium, stirring the whole time, until it thickens. Lower the heat and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to your storage container, and let it cool.1 tbsp rice flour, 100 ml water
- Make the yangnyeom: Once the rice paste has cooled, stir in all the seasonings. Let the gochugaru blend in until the yangnyeom turns a deep red.2 tbsp Korean plum extract (Mae-sil-cheong), 1 tbsp shio koji, 1 tbsp coarse Korean chili powder, 1 tbsp sudaki-to, 1 tsp soy sauce, ½ tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste), 10 g ginger, 2 g garlic, 2-3 g kombu (dried kelp)
- Drain the vegetables: An hour after salting, drain the cucumber in a colander and pat the surface dry with a paper towel. Squeeze the daikon and carrot firmly by hand to remove excess water.
- Combine and ferment: Toss the salted vegetables into the yangnyeom and mix well. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for half a day to 2 days, until it reaches the fermentation you like, then store it in the fridge.
If the vegetables sit too long in the salt, they turn too salty — start on the rice paste as soon as the salting begins.
Fermentation speed depends on the season and room temperature — taste it every so often as it ferments. Giving it a stir each time you check helps the flavor soak in evenly.
Even a little time at room temperature makes all the difference — it's the key to bringing out this kimchi's best flavor.
Notes
Best finished within about a week.
Cucumbers hold a lot of water and don't keep as well, so use clean chopsticks each time you serve it.