Kimchi 泡菜

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made of salted and fermented napa cabbage and Korean radish, seasoned with a variety of ingredients including gochugaru (chilli powder), spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (salted seafood). It is known for its spicy, sour, and umami flavors, and is a staple in Korean cuisine, served with almost every meal.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 2 kg Napa cabbage
• 1/2 cup coarse sea salt (for brining)
• 300g Korean radish (Daikon), julienned
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 20g ginger, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, pureed
• 2 tbsp glutinous rice flour
• 1 cup water (for rice paste)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 to 1 cup Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), to taste
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 2 tbsp salted shrimp (saeujeot), finely minced
• 1/2 Asian pear (or apple), grated (optional)

Steps

1. Quarter the napa cabbage lengthwise. Rub coarse salt between each leaf. Place in a large bowl and let it brine. Turn the cabbage every 30-60 minutes.
2. Rinse the salted cabbage thoroughly under cold water 3 times to remove excess salt. Squeeze out as much water as possible.
3. In a small pot, whisk glutinous rice flour with water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a paste. Let it cool completely.
4. Julienne the Korean radish. Chop the green onions into 2-inch pieces. Mince garlic and ginger. Puree the half onion. Grate the Asian pear (if using).
5. In a large bowl, combine the cooled rice paste, pureed onion, minced garlic, minced ginger, sugar, gochugaru, fish sauce, and finely minced salted shrimp. Add grated Asian pear (if using). Mix well until thoroughly combined.
6. Add the julienned Korean radish and chopped green onions to the kimchi paste. Mix thoroughly.
7. Wear gloves. Spread the kimchi paste generously between each leaf of the rinsed cabbage quarters, ensuring every part is coated.
8. Tightly pack the kimchi into an airtight container, pressing down to remove any air bubbles. Leave some headspace. Store at room temperature for 1-2 days to ferment (tasting occasionally for desired sourness), then transfer to the refrigerator for slower fermentation and storage.

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