KIMCHI: KOREAN SUPERFOOD
Author: 
Recipe type: Kimchi
Cuisine: Korean
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3.4 litres
 
My easy, authentic Kimchi recipe is the perfect introduction to making kimchi for yourself. Shop bought kimchi doesn't come close! A great Korean side dish.
What You'll Need
  • 2 Chinese cabbages/napa cabbages (2kg)
  • Salt Water Marinade
  • 2.4L Water
  • ¾ Cup Coarse Sea Salt
  • Fish Sauce Ingredients
  • 2 Cups Water
  • 30 grams dried anchovies
  • 1 piece kelp (3cm square)
  • 1 tbsp glutinous rice flour (It can be replaced with flour)
  • Kimchi Sauce
  • 1 piece ginger (5g)
  • 1 Pear
  • 1 tbsp mashed garlic
  • 1 carrot (70g) cut into matchsticks
  • 3 tbsp Fish Sauce (optional)
  • 1 ⅓ cups Korean Red Pepper Powder (Gochugaru)
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 9 spring onions/scallions (125g) finely shredded
How to Make It
  1. Wash the chinese cabbages (napa cabbages) and chop them into small bite size pieces and put them in a big bowl.
  2. Mix sea salt and water together and add to the chinese cabbages. Cover the bowl with food wrap for four hours to marinate. When four hours are up, drain all the salty water from the chinese cabbages with a colander. Leave the colander on a plate or a bowl for around half an hour to drain all the salty water from the cabbage.
  3. Put the water, dried anchovies and kelp in a pan over a high heat until it boils and then simmer over a low heat for around 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the anchovies and kelp with a sieve and add the sticky rice flour to the pan over a low heat, stirring occasionally until it thickens. Don't worry if it is a little lumpy. Leave to cool.
  5. Peel the ginger. Peel the pear and cut into small pieces. Puree the pear, ginger, mashed garlic and thickened cool fish sauce in a food processor.
  6. Put the drained chinese cabbage in a big bowl and add the chopped carrots, pureed sauce, squid sauce, sea salt, sugar and Korean chilli powder (Gochugaru) and mix well with your hands. Koreans call this Sonmat (손맛) as mixing really well with your hands makes it taste even better. Once mixed, add the spring onions (scallions) and mix until everything is combined. Make sure the bowl is big enough to make kimchi! I usually use a huge baking bowl.
Notes
It's a good idea to wear disposable food gloves when mixing all the ingredients together. It's a very unpleasant experience to have chilli powder on your hands and then touch your eyes or nose even if you have thoroughly washed your hands. Ouch! Try and get Korean disposable gloves as they are of better quality than English ones. If you know a good English brand please let me know.

Store the kimchi in an airtight container at room temperature for a day in summer and 2 or 3 days in winter and then keep it in your fridge for up to 2 months, which makes it taste better during the fermentation process. As kimchi ferments it takes on a slightly sour, tingly on your tongue taste.
Recipe by Gilded Gingerbread at https://www.gildedgingerbread.com/kimchi-korean-superfood/