KIMCHI RECIPE (NAPA CABBAGE KIMCHI)

KIMCHI RECIPE (NAPA CABBAGE KIMCHI)

Kimchi is a type of fermented food that originates from Korea. Kimchi’s name varies depending on the main vegetables used. Here, you will find my best napa cabbage kimchi recipe made in pogi kimchi (whole cabbage kimchi) style.

This is the most popular variety and is very versatile! You can either eat it as is or use it in your cooking. It’s also a healthy and tasty food with many benefits. Let’s make it at home!

WHAT IS KIMCHI

Kimchi / Kimchee (김치) is a traditional Korean side dish made from fermented cabbage, radish, or cucumber. It is often categorized by the main vegetable ingredient used to make it. Kimchi is a staple food in Korean cuisine. Most Koreans have it with almost every Korean meal at least once a day. The most popular kimchi includes baechu kimchi (made with napa cabbage, 배추김치), kkakdugi (made with radish, 깍두기), and oi kimchi (made with cucumber, 오이김치).

BENEFITS OF HOMEMADE KIMCHI

One of the advantages of homemade kimchi is that you can control the flavor by controlling the ingredients that go into it. By making it at home, you can use the ingredients that suit your dietary requirement (e.g. vegan kimchi) as well.

You can also control the fermentation process better to meet your taste buds by controlling the temperature of the environment.

WHAT DOES KIMCHI TASTE LIKE

Kimchi has quite a complex flavor and not every kimchi has the same taste. First, it is slightly salty because it has been pickled in salty brine for as little as 30 minutes to overnight. Second, it is slightly spicy in general, excluding white kimchi, which does not use any Korean chili flakes.

Third, it has umami flavor. It’s also seasoned with Korean fish sauce to aid fermentation, so as time goes by, the deeper the kimchi’s flavor develops. Forth, ripened kimchi is sour and has a pungent smell. This stage of kimchi is great for cooking.

Though one thing I know is that even though many people love kimchi, there are many people who don’t like it because of its strong garlic smell and taste. Also, the longer it ferments, the stronger the smell and flavor will be, as if something is rotting in your fridge.

KIMCHI INGREDIENTS

4kg (8.8 pounds) napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage), remove thick outer cabbage leaves

16 cups (3840 ml) water

1.5 cups (285g / 10 ounces) Korean coarse sea salt or natural rock salt (for salt water)

1/2 cup (97g / 3.4 ounces) cooking salt, medium sized crystals (for sprinkle)

KIMCHI SEASONING / KIMCHI PASTE

2 Tbsp glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour)

1.5 cups (360 ml) water

1.5 cups (141g / 4.97 ounces) gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)

540g / 19 ounces Korean radish or daikon radish, julienned

1 Tbsp fine sea salt

3.5 Tbsp Korean fish sauce

2 Tbsp salted fermented shrimp (saeujeot), minced

90g / 3.2 ounces Korean chives, cut in 5 cm / 2 inch length

140g / 4.9 ounces carrots, julienned

1/4 cup (42g / 1.48 ounces) minced garlic

1/2 Tbsp minced ginger

2 Tbsp raw sugar

75g / 2.6 ounces onion, blended (with a stick blender or vegetable chopper) or finely grated

*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 cup = 250 ml

HOW TO MAKE KIMCHI

1. Cut the napa cabbage into quarters and rinse it in running water. Make sure the stem is intact.

2. Dissolve the coarse salt in the water (16 cups) in a large bowl. Dip the napa cabbage in the saltwater one at a time and transfer it onto a tray for further salting. Pinch some cooking salt (1/2 cup total for all pickled cabbages) and rub over the thick white part of the cabbage. Open each leaf gently and sprinkle the salt over the thick white part. Repeat this for the rest of the cabbage. Reserve the saltwater from when you soaked the cabbage for later use.

3. Put the salted cabbage in a large food grade plastic bag or large bucket (wedge side of the cabbage to be facing up) and pour in the reserved saltwater from step 2. Close the plastic bag. If using a bucket, get something heavy on top of the cabbage to press down (e.g heavy pot with water).

Set the cabbage aside for 6 hours to pickle. Rotate the cabbage upside down every 2 hours. Using a large food grade plastic bag will make the turning process much easier than using a large bucket.

Checking pickled cabbage for kimchi

4. Once the soaking process is finished, rinse the cabbages in running water, especially the thick white part of the cabbage, to get rid of the salt. Place them in a colander and allow to drain for 1 hour.

Draining cabbage in a colander

5. While waiting, prepare the glutinous rice paste. Mix glutinous rice flour with the water (1.5 cups) in a saucepan and boil it over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until it thickens. Once ready, transfer the rice paste to the medium-size bowl and let it cool. Add Korean chili flakes once it has cooled. Then, combine them well.

6. Prepare a large mixing bowl and add radish, fine sea salt, Korean fish sauce, and salted fermented shrimp. Leave it for 10 minutes for the radish to salt down. Add Korean chives, carrots, minced garlic, minced ginger, sugar, blended onion, and the Korean chili flakes mixture from step 5. Mix them well. Now the kimchi seasoning / kimchi paste is made, ready for use.

7. Place a quarter of a cabbage on a tray. Spread the seasonings over each leaf. (You only need to season one side of the leaf.) 1 to 2 small fistfuls of seasoning is enough per quarter of cabbage. Repeat this step for the rest of the cabbage. Don’t pull the cabbage leaves off the stem, leave them attached so it holds together better.

8. Transfer the kimchi into a kimchi container or an airtight container (and put the lid on). Leave it out at room temperature for 24 hours, then move it to the refrigerator. While you can start eating it once it’s chilled, you may want to wait 3-4 more days for it to develop more flavor.

Now enjoy this delicious and healthy dish.