Kimchi – An Easy Recipe for Kimchi Virgins
”KIMCHI!” Have you ever eaten it? Maybe you’ve never even heard of it. If you haven’t, think pickled cabbage that’s often mixed with other vegetables. And did you know it’s the national dish of Korea?
What is Kimchi?
Maybe you’ve seen it in Asian grocery stores, somewhere among the tofu and fresh noodles in the refrigerated aisle. At first glance it looks like orange coleslaw, but it tastes more like sauerkraut. In fact, they are close cousins. With flavours ranging from mild and sweet, to pungent and sour and hot—kimchi can vary as much as the families that make it. Kimchi is a fermented food, which means our bodies will only love us more if we consume it. The is a great recipe if you’re making it for the first time because it’s easy and the flavour isn’t too funky for a first time consumer.
Kimchi is made mostly of Napa cabbage, daikon radish and salt. Kosher and sea salt work best. Rub the salt into the leaves so every part gets some. With authentic kimchi, many people quarter the cabbage keeping the leaves long, but I prefer my kimchi chopped up. Most people rub the salt into the leaves and allow it to sit for a few hours, turning the leaves frequently for even exposure. But I prefer to add water—just enough to cover the leaves—after massaging with salt. This exposes the salt evenly the whole time, and you don’t have to keep turning the leaves. I allow the cabbage to salt for 4-6 hours, but you can go as long as 12 hours.
Wash Away The Salt
After the salting, you will need to rinse the leaves very well several times to wash away all the salt. If you’ve made my bread & butter pickles, this May be familiar. Then squeeze it as dry as you can. The salt has done its job and the cabbage is ready for fermentation. In a clean, dry bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients. Traditionally, daikon radish accompanies the cabbage for kimchi. But I have swapped it for carrots, cucumbers and even beets both red and gold. Feel free to experiment! Mix everything else together before adding the salted cabbage. Once everything is mixed, your kimchi can be packed in clean jars and allowed to ferment. (By clean jars, I mean jars that have been rinsed well with vinegar and hot water.)
How Do You Store Kimchi?
Fill your jars—how many you need will depend on the size of your vegetables and the sizes of jars you want to fill. I usually get enough for three 500ml jars plus a one quart jar. Leave a space of about 1 1/2 inches from the top because it will expand some. You may even want to place the filled jars on a plate to catch any leaking brine that may seep out of the jars. Let it ferment at room temperature away from direct sunlight for 1-5 days. The longer it ferments, the more sour your kimchi will become. I like it sour, so 5 days minimum is a must for me.
And that’s it! Now refrigerate your kimchi and have it handy for every meal. Not only is it a crunchy, refreshing snack or side for anything, you can also stir fry it with rice, top it on pizza, stuff it in grilled cheese…a quick internet search will give you a myriad of ideas. Go make kimchi today and enjoy the possibilities of this wonderful super food.
Kimchi - Easy Beginner's Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Napa cabbage (2.5 lbs.)
- 1/2 cup salt (Kosher or sea salt)
- Water
- 3 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/3 cup gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 4 green onions, cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 medium daikon or Korean radish, julienned (900 grams)
- 1 medium Asian pear, cored and diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
Instructions
- Wash cabbage and split in quarters to remove core. Cut into bite sized strips and place into a large bowl. Add salt and rub into the leaves for several minutes, until the cabbage wilts to nearly half the original volume. Add enough water so leaves are barely covered. Set aside for 4-6 hours.
- After cabbage has salted, drain and rinse several times, squeezing out the salt as you wash. Squeeze dry and set aside.
- Meanwhile in another large bowl, combine ginger, garlic, powder and fish sauce. Mix well.
- Add green onions and daikon radish.
- In a food processor or blender, puree the Asian pear and onion until smooth. Add to vegetables and mix well. Add cabbage and toss together until everything is well coated.
- Pack kimchi into clean jars, pressing firmly but not too hard, leaving at least one inch space from the top. Cover the jars loosely and place onto a large plate or pan to catch any brine that might spill over during fermentation. Allow to ferment at room temperature for 1-5 days, depending on how sour you want your kimchi to taste. Transfer to the refrigerator.
- Kimchi will keep for several months. Enjoy!