Kimchi is the quintessential Korean dish. There are many different types of Kimchi, but the most famous one is Napa Cabbage Kimchi.
You will find this healthy dish in virtually every refrigerator in Korea. It is so important to the culture of Korea that there is even a “Kimchi Index” in Korea. It helps Koreans track the change in price of the main ingredients used in Kimchi – Napa cabbage, chili, radish and anchovies. When the price volatility is high, it makes national headlines.
It seems with the ever-busy lifestyle of Korea, the art of making Kimchi is being lost. It is rare to see families (let alone, single dwellers) to make it at home. Traditionally, a family would schedule a weekend in winter to make a large batch of Kimchi for the year, often using up to 10 Napa cabbages at a time! It is a labor of love.
Today, we show you a simple recipe that you can make at home – using only one head of Napa cabbage. This way, you can sample the flavors, gauge spice level and reduce prep time. Also, it’s okay if you mess up with one cabbage. Big deal – just buy another one! However, if you mess up with a batch of 10 cabbages, chances are you will never try making Kimchi again! Our recipe is simple and has the right balance of Korean flavors
Key taste variable: Time
The taste of the Kimchi will change slightly as you leave it longer in the refrigerator. This is normal and you should try it at its different stages. Try tasting it fresh – right after you finish coating it with the Kimchi paste. Then sample it after 1 day of sitting out (and fermenting). Then try it cold, after it has had time to chill in the refrigerator. You will notice the flavor get deeper and more concentrated. I think it taste best when it has had some time to sit in the refrigerator for a few days.
Kimchi - A simple recipe for your first time
Ingredients
- Napa cabbage - 1 head
- Kosher salt - 2 cups
- Korean radish - 2 inch piece
- Asian Chives - 20 stalks
Kimchi Paste
- Dashima Kombu - iPhone size piece of
- Shiitake mushrooms - 4
- Glutinous rice powder - 2 Tablespoon ok to use all-purpose flour as well
- Gochugaru Korean red chili flakes - 1 cup
- Minced garlic - 2 Tablespoon
- Minced ginger - 1 Tablespoon
- Anchovy sauce - 1/4 cup
- Honey - 2 Tablespoon
- Sugar - 1/2 Tablespoon
- Salt - 1 Tablespoon
Instructions
Brine Cabbage
- Cut the Napa cabbage into 4 pieces. Wash thoroughly and get off any dirt - especially near the stems.
- Fill a large plastic bowl with 6 cups of water. Then add-in one cup of kosher salt. Mix it around and dissolve some of the salt pieces. Then submerge each of the cabbage pieces into the salty water. Let the wet cabbage sit on a strainer for 5 minutes to get rid of excess water.
- Then pour another 1 cup of kosher salt. Grab some salt with your fingers and toss it onto each layer of the cabbage. Try to focus alot of the salt onto the white stems of the cabbage. Salt each layer for each of the cabbage pieces. Then cover it with a lid (to prevent bugs from getting in) and let it sit in room-temperature for at least 6 hours (or overnight).
Check Cabbage
- Next day, bend the cabbage stem and check that it doesn't snap. If it does snap, let it sit for longer in the salty water.
- Drain the cabbage from the brine and wash each layer thoroughly under a running faucet. After one round of washing, wash again! This second wash will help reduce the overall salty flavor from the leaves.
- Set the washed cabbage pieces on a strainer and get rid of excess water.
Prep Veggies
- Peel Korean radish. Then cut each section into thin circles. Then cut each circle into thin match sticks.
- Cut asian chives into 2 inch sections.
Make Paste
- Take out a pot and fill with 2 cups of water. Place in 4 Shiitake mushrooms and dashima pieces. Put it on a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes to extract broth. Strain the broth and let it fully cool down. (Note: It is important to let the stock broth cool down completely)
- When the broth is cooled down, place in the glutinous rice powder (or flour) and mix into the stock. Mix thoroughly to get rid of all clumps. (Note: Don't turn on the heat until you have fully mixed the powder into the stock). Then place the pot onto a medium heat. Keep stirring until the paste thickens up and gets a gravvy-like consistency.
- Get a large plastic bowl. Put in Gochugaru, minced garlic, minced ginger, anchovy sauce, honey, salt and sugar. Then put-in the paste as well. Give all of the ingredients a good mix.
- Then put-in the Korean radish and garlic chive pieces as well. Mix veggies in and coat them in the thick paste.
Layering Kimchi
- Place Kimchi paste on each layer of the cabbage leaf (reference video). Repeat for all 4 cabbage pieces.
- Place the finished Kimchi pieces into a large Tupperware or large mason jar.
- Place plastic wrap over the container and poke some holes into it. Let it sit out in room temperature for one day.
- The next day, you will see bubbles in the kimchi liquid (from the fermentation). Now place the fermenting kimchi in the refrigerator. Let it chill in the refrigerator for a few hours
- Once the kimchi is cold, chop the cabbage into sections and serve! Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to cool down the stock soup before placing in the glutinous rice powder. Fully stir in the powder until you see no lumps - then turn on the heat.
- With each week, the Kimchi will taste more sour as it ferments longer. Kimchi is edible for many months. "Aged" Kimchi is popular in Kimchi Jjigae or Kimchi panackes.
- If you have any specific questions, leave us a comment.
- Watch video below for more details.
[…] they make a junky comfort food worthy of a Sunday breakfast. Now, I just have to make some kimchi to stuff it with – or maybe onion […]