Korean Kimchi

I made this kimchi using the same recipe a few times already and it turned out excellent! All the flavor was in the right place and it fermented well, love it!😘

☝Above picture was a small batch of kimchi that I made for dinner.

Korean Kimchi

Ingredients:

1 bunch napa cabbage

6 tbsps kosher salt(4 tbsps to salt the cabbage+2 tbsps to make kimchi)

1 tbsps chapssalgaru (glutinous rice flour)

1+1/2cup vegetable stock/water

1/2 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar

5-6 garlic cloves

1 inch peeled ginger

1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks

1/2 cup gochu-garu (Korean chili powder)*

2 bunches green onions (cut into 4cm lenght)

1 carrot  (cut in strips )

1/2 radish (cut in strips)~(if used)

* You can substitute with Korean chili paste.

Directions:

Salt the cabbage:

1. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters. Cut away the core of each quarter.
2. Cut the leaves crosswise into 1-to-1½ inch bite size pieces. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Toss with 4 tbsps of the salt and 1 cup water.
4. Let stand for 2 hours, tossing the cabbage every 30 minutes to salt evenly.

Make the kimchi paste:

1. Combine the glutinous rice flour and 1 cup of the vegetable stock/ water in a small saucepan and place over medium high heat.

2. Stir until the mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of the sugar and stir until the mixture is slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool thoroughly.

3.Put the cooled porridge,  the remaining of 1/2 cup vegetable stock/water, the remaining of 2 tbsps salt, the remaining of 1 tsp of sugar, garlic, ginger, and onion in a food processor and process to a puree.Transfer the puree to a medium bowl.

4.Add the gochu-garu (Korean chili powder) and mix it well. Set aside.

Make Kimchi:

1. Rinse the cabbage 3 to 4 times with cold running water to remove any dirt and excess salt. Drain well.

2.  Add the cabbage, radish(if used), green onion, chives (if used), and carrot. Add the kimchi paste and mix all together by hand (wear disposable gloves).

3. Transfer to an airtight container or glass jars. Press down the kimchi so it’s well packed and no air can get inside, then put the lid on the container.

4. Keep in the fridge and let the kimchi ferment for about 1- 2 weeks.

Tips:

1. You can serve the kimchi right away, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Or you can let the kimchi ferment for about 1- 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

2. For shorter fermenting, leave it at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, depending on the warmth of your kitchen, until the kimchi smells and tastes sour.

3. Once the kimchi is fermented, it will continue to ferment and become more sour as time goes by. It never goes bad but it will getting more sourish.

4. Whenever you take some kimchi out of the container, be sure to press down on the remaining kimchi with a spoon to prevent it from being exposed to air.

Recipe reference from: Maangchi

Happy Making!