How to make Spicy Korean Marinated Cucumber (Oi Muchim)!

February 4, 2021. Late in the evening. Spicy Korean Marinated Cucumber – Oi Muchim (오이무침).

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I had a sudden craving for crunchy pickles and decided to make this late at night. This delicious, crunchy, and spicy dish is usually served as a side dish or banchan (반찬) at a Korean restaurant.

If you have been to a Korean restaurant, you have probably seen the delightful, small, colorful dishes that are usually served at the beginning of a meal. I always think banchan is like Spanish tapas or Chinese dim-sum. Little morsels of deliciousness, designed to pique your interest and leave you hankering for more!

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Typically this is eaten with rice. I like to eat this unadorned, or a tad bit untraditionally – with small pieces of freshly made tortilla or using thin slices of homemade bread to sop up all the delicious sauce…

Anyway, Oi Muchim is a straightforward recipe that requires just a handful of ingredients, the key being cucumbers. I used English cucumbers which have less seeds than regular cucumbers. Gochugaru (Korean coarse red pepper flakes) is the “special ingredient” for this recipe – it’s the same key ingredient used in making the popular Korean staple kimchi. The recipe requires no cooking and can be whipped up in under an hour.

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The process is simple. We slice the cucumbers, season with salt, sugar and gochugaru. Then we allow the mixture to rest/marinate and extract the cucumber juice. When ready, we toss the seasoned cucumber slices in a delicious mixture of sesame oil, rice vinegar, and garlic. And that’s it! Let’s get cracking!

Ingredients for Spicy Korean Marinated Cucumber

Items listed roughly in the order of use:

2 English Cucumbers
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 to 1½ tsp sugar
1 Tbsp. gochugaru, coarse Korean chilli pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. fish sauce (or soy sauce, if vegetarian)
1½ Tbsp. toasted white sesame seeds
2 stalks green onions (scallions), sliced thinly (optional)

You will also need 2 mixing bowls, a pair of disposable gloves, a colander, and parchment paper.

Preparing the cucumbers

Let’s start by preparing the cucumbers. Wash, clean and dry the cucumbers. Then, peel and discard some of the skin, trim the ends and cut into ½ inch thick rounds.

Seasoning and Removing Moisture

Place cucumber slices in a large bowl. Next, add salt, sugar and gochugaru to cucumber and mix well. Then, using disposable gloves, combine and gently massage the seasoning into all of the cucumber slices until well coated, about 2 minutes.

When done, transfer cucumber to a colander, and set the colander inside the used bowl to allow the juices to drain. Then, cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the surface of the cucumbers and place the parchment paper on top of the cucumbers. To remove the excess cucumber juice, set a weight (such as a heavy pan, canned goods, cast iron skillet, bowl filled with water, etc.) on top to press down. Set aside and and let it rest for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour). This resting time will allow the salt, sugar and gochugaru to season the cucumber, as well as draw out the vegetable’s juices.

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Making the Dressing for Spicy Korean Marinated Cucumber

As the cucumber slices are marinating, in a separate bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, minced garlic, sesame oil, fish sauce (or soy sauce) until well combined. (Do not use the the toasted sesame seeds yet.)

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Combining and Finishing Spicy Korean Marinated Cucumber

When the cucumbers have rested long enough, remove the weight, and discard parchment paper. Using clean gloved hands, squeeze cucumber slices one last time to remove any excess liquid. Then, transfer to bowl with the prepared dressing. Toss cucumber in the dressing until well coated. When done, add sesame seeds (and chopped scallions, if using) and mix thoroughly. Finally, divide oi muchim into desired portions, and serve immediately.

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Notes:

Keep unused portion in airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

I was reading up about Korean banchan and came across this short guide that seems handy for folks new to the cuisine => https://www.tripzilla.com/beginners-guide-banchan/93724

And this one is about the 10 most popular Korean Side dishes => https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-side-dishes-in-korea

Recipe lightly adapted from Sunny Lee’s recipe on Serious Eats.

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