For a short time at the end of summer, large amounts of plump, thick-skinned Korean peppers appear in Korean grocery stores at bargain prices. We call them asagi (아삭이) peppers and they are mild, plump, large, and crispy, perfect for making spicy stuffed green chili pepper kimchi, called gochu-sobagi in Korean.
They come in season at the end of the summer (and are great for pickles, too), but you can make this recipe any time with any kind of peppers. Use any of your local peppers that are about 5 or 6 inches long, pretty straight, nicely crispy, and plump enough to stuff. I prefer mild peppers for this recipe because the stuffing is pretty spicy, but you can use spicy peppers if you can handle it.
This kimchi is crispy, savory, and spicy with a deep kimchi flavor of garlic and fish sauce. If you’ve been watching my videos for a while you will recognize this sobagi style of kimchi because I made spicy stuffed cucumber kimchi (oi-sobagi) a few years ago, which was very popular with a lot of people.
Serve with rice, or as I do in the video, with bo-ssam (pork wraps). I personally like to eat it fresh, right after making it. Like any other kind of kimchi it ferments over time, so best to store it in the fridge and take out what you need when you want it.
If you have sensitive skin, be sure to wear rubber or plastic gloves when mixing and handling the spicy mixture, as it might irritate your hands.
Good luck with your spicy green pepper kimchi, let me know how it turns out!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of 5-6 inch long green chili peppers (about 17 or 18 peppers)
- 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces Korean radish, cut into matchsticks (about 2 cups)
- 2 ounces Asian chives (buchu) chopped
- 1 small carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 small onion, sliced thinly (about 1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or 3 tablespoons soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Salt the peppers:
- Throw a pepper onto the cutting board and let it sit naturally. Cut a slit into the top of the pepper as it lays. Repeat with the rest of the peppers so that when the peppers are finished, they stack nicely and sit on your plate with the slit and stuffing facing upwards.
- Rinse the peppers and strain.
- Put the 2 tablespoons salt in a small bowl. Rub and sprinkle some salt onto the peppers, into the slits and around the outside. Put them in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes, then strain any excess water.
Make stuffing:
- Mix the radish matchsticks with ½ teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl. Let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes until water comes out of the radish.
- Add hot pepper flakes, fish sauce, carrot, onion, and chives and mix it well by hand or a wooden spoon.
Make kimchi:
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I guess, this chilly / pepper kimchi must be rename for hell´s kimchi. At my home I call it kimchi revenge :D My boyfriend love it a lot, but for me is too spicy. It was one of my first recipes I had try by video tutorial. From that time, nothing to stopped me in my kitchen.
Thank you a lot :) Best greetings from Slovakia
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haha, you chose this kimchi as your first kimchi to make instead of cabbage kimchi! If looks so refreshing, crispy, and yummy! : )
“nothing to stopped me in my kitchen.”
Bonjour Maangchi ! Pas de piment vert ici donc j’ai choisi des bébés poivrons multicolores ! Fermentés 2 jours : quel délice ! Encore un GRAND MERCI ✌
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Oh ! J’ai oublié de dire que je suis Cindy de Paris en France
I made these, but with jalapeño peppers since it’s what I had. They are super spicy!!
Can I ferment them by leaving them out on the counter in my airtight jars? Or do they need to be put in the fridge? Thanks!
“Can I ferment them by leaving them out on the counter in my airtight jars?”
Yes, leave it on the counter for a couple of days until it starts turning sour. Then move it to the fridge.
This recipe turned out delicious! I can’t stop eating them!
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It looks so crispy, juicy, spicy, and pretty!
hello Maangchi,
I tried to make green chilli pepper kimchi, its spicy!!!
There are some bitter melon in the fridge so decided to make them into bitter melon kimchi as well
Thank you Maangchi for the recipe!
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I’d like to taste your bitter melon kimchi! Yummy!
Maangchi,just wanna buy some ingredients from malaysia(kuching) that i think will have korean food. i check kuching jalan song on ur website,and go there,the store totally closed (never open,maybe bankrupt),someone buy his store and right now become pharmacy store.im look around few other store in malaysia and found that i already have,
still looking for somyeon,chili crush pepper,jjangmyeon noodles,jeotgal.
anyone from kuching(pls not far away like jalan song take 30 min use car) can help me to found this stuff?
Thank you for letting me know that the store is closed. I just emailed my reader who submitted the store. If she confirms, I will remove the store from the list.
Here is a list of Korean grocery stores in Malaysia. I hope you can find one near Kutching.
https://www.maangchi.com/shopping/malaysia
Oh maangchi, I made these tonight, and oh my gosh they are so good. I think I used a little too much salt, but I really liked them a lot. I can’t wait for my husband to try them. Thanks for the recipe. 꼿게탕 is next on my list of things to try. I love crab. I hope I spelled that correctly. 감사함니다.
I recently moved to a small town in Tennessee where ingredients for some cooking are hard to come by without a long drive. I can get jalapeno peppers locally and wonder if they might work. I miss all the Asian Markets that were available when I lived in Nashville.
HI,Maangchi !I want to ask do we need to wash way the salt in the peppers?
No you don’t need to rinse the peppers. Just strain them. “Put the 2 tablespoons salt in a small bowl. Rub and sprinkle some salt onto the peppers, into the slits and around the outside. Put them in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes, then strain any excess water.”
Hi Maangchi, what is Your meaning about big variety of Mexican sorts of red pepper?
Do You use them in culinary practice?
I’m missing “Chipotles” – it is difficult to find them in Russia.
Maangchi knows peppers! First pickled (with a squirt!) and now fixed similar to oi-sobagi! Love it! Oi-sobagi is my favorite kimchi banchan, but this might beat it out! Thanks, Maangchi!!!