Quick Cucumber Kimchi

If you prefer quick cucumber kimchi which is fresh, crunchy, slightly spicy, tangy and ready to eat straight away with no long fermentation, this is one Kimchi recipe to go for.  The leftover can be place in tight container and place in the fridge.  To keep the leftover kimchi fresh, serve whatever you need using a clean spoon.

Ingredients:

600g Japanese cucumber

1/2 tablespoon salt (for salting the cucumber)

Half carrot (peeled and julienned)

3 sprigs spring onions (washed and cut into 1" long)

Quick kimchi paste:

1/2 knob ginger (peeled and sliced)

4 cloves garlic (peeled)

1/4 onion (peeled and roughly cut)

1/2 apple (peeled and roughly cut)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons Korean chili flakes

Methods:

1. To prepare the cucumber: wash the cucumber, slice in half vertically, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.  Cut the cucumbers into segments about 1 inch long.  Salt the cucumber with salt for about 30 minutes, then rinse and drain.  Set aside in a large bowl together with carrot and spring onion.
2. Blend the quick kimchi paste ingredients using a hand blender.  Scoop the paste over the cucumber, carrot and spring onion.
3. Mix everything together, and it's ready to serve.

This great recipe is adapted from 'Erin Pham VN2UK' with a slight adjustment to suit my preference.