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Watermelon kimchi. (Recipes by Melanie Kwan. Produced by Sun Ngo. Photographed by Christie Vuong. Food Styling by Ashley Denton. Prop Styling by Christine Hanlon)
A quick, high-summer recipe that should be eaten as soon as it’s made, this salad makes a great side dish for a barbecue. Ice-cold watermelon is tossed with gochugaru (Korean dried chili flakes), fish sauce, garlic, scallions, ginger and lime juice for an instant sweet, sour, savoury and umami kimchi—no fermentation required.
500 g seedless watermelon
2 tbsp gochugaru
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 lime, juiced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tsp grated ginger
1 cup shredded or matchstick-cut cucumber
Remove watermelon rind and cut flesh into 1-in. cubes. Place in a large bowl and freeze for 15 min. (Or refrigerate until chilled.)
Just before serving, combine gochugaru with fish sauce and salt in another large bowl. Stir in lime juice, green onion, garlic and ginger until a bright red paste forms. Add watermelon and cucumber. Toss until well coated. Serve immediately.
This recipe is part of a collection of savoury fruit salads created by recipe developer Melanie Kwan.
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