What is kimchi?
Kimchi ( 김치 ) is a collective term for vegetable dishes that have been salted, seasoned, and fermented. The its history goes back to ancient times. Originated from pickle vegetables, there are now hundreds of kimchi varieties in Korea. You can find some of the most common ones in my 15 easy kimchi recipes .
Over the last decade or so, Korean kimchi has gained a global recognition as a healthy probiotic food. It ’ s a good source of utilitarian lactic acerb bacteria, has excellent anti-oxidation and anti-cancer effects, and helps prevent aging.
This recipe is made with baechu ( 배추 ), known as chinese cabbage cabbage, hence the name baechu kimchi. Because the cabbage is kept entire at its head, it ’ second besides known as pogi kimchi ( 포기김치 ). Pogi means a “ head ” of a vegetable .
In deep fall, korean households make this type of kimchi in big measure for their kimjang ( or gimajang, 김장 ), an annual kimchi making event in training for cold months. I grew up watching my mother do her kimjang using over 100 cabbages with her friends in the neighborhood who rotated their schedules to help each other .
I normally make it with 5 – 10 heads ( pogi ) of cabbages at a prison term because we eat it every day. besides, I provide regular supply to my grown-up children. Both my mother and mother-in-law did that for us for a long time, so I am gladly continuing the tradition .
In korean homes, there can never be excessively a lot of it. so many korean dishes are made with well-fermented kimchi, such as jjigae, mandu, bibim guksu, kimchijeon, dubu kimchi, etc .
Buying napa cabbage
For this recipe, it ’ south best to use a medium to large cabbage that weighs approximately 5 to 5-1/2 pounds with some light green out leaves. When cut, a good cabbage has a nicely square white separate that ’ s not excessively midst angstrom well as bright jaundiced inner leaves .
Salt
korean coarse sea salt ( cheonilyeom, 천일염 ) is the best to salt the vegetables to make kimchi. It ’ south natural salt with a coarse texture that ’ s minimally processed. normally referred to as gulgeun-sogeum ( 굵은소금 ), meaning coarse or blockheaded salt, this salt tastes good without bitterness, so it helps develop flavors in ferment foods .
When we first came to America, Korean ocean salt wasn ’ thymine available, so we used American table strategic arms limitation talks to salt cabbages. Be surely to use less ( about 1/4 less than the amount called for in the recipe ) if using fine salt .
Kimchi seasonings
The taste of kimchi varies wide, depending on the quality, type and proportion of the temper ingredients. Each korean family has its own recipes, often driven by the regional flavors of their hometown. I find myself making it differently each time .
good quality gochugaru makes a big dispute in kimchi. In accession to gochugaru ( 고추가루, Korean red chili pepper flakes ), garlic and ginger, kimchi recipes typically call for diverse jeotgal ( 젓갈, salted seafood ) for the discrete pungency and depth of flavors and to aid the agitation action. Saeujeot ( 새우젓, salted shrimp ) and myulchiaekjeot ( 멸치액젓, fish sauce made with anchovies ) are the most park ones. Read more about these ingredients in my korean Pantry Seasoning Ingredients .
sometimes, I besides use fresh shrimp which is my mother ’ randomness privy component for adding extra freshness to the kimchi spirit. If you can ’ metric ton find saeujeot in your area, consider using some sensitive prawn alternatively .
If you want to make vegan kimchi, skip shrimps and trade fish sauce with soup soy sauce ( gukganjang, 국간장 ). Or merely check out my vegan kimchi recipe .
How to make kimchi
To help you start making kimchi at home, I came up with this recipe using one steer of chinese cabbage boodle. Start with one, and then move to 2 or 3 by doubling or tripling the recipe .
It typically starts with salting the chief vegetable. For this pogi kimchi, you need to cut the wholly boodle in half lengthways, and then into quarters. If you ’ re using 2 small cabbages, cutting in half should be enough .
then, thoroughly bathe each pilfer half/quarter in the salt water one at a fourth dimension. Using the other half cup of salt, liberally sprinkle salt over the blockheaded egg white part of each leaf. This process makes surely the white parts get evenly salted ,
meanwhile, make a kimchi paste by mixing all the seasoning ingredients, and then cut the radish into thin matchsticks and mix well with the paste. The rest is easy, rub a little bite of the radish plant mix over each cabbage leaf, chiefly the white part .
How long does it last?
Although you can start eating your kimchi any time, it needs about two weeks in the electric refrigerator to amply develop its flavors. It will continue to old age in your refrigerator and will be delectable for a pair of months, when the healthy bacteria reckon is the highest. It can last much longer than that, turning very false over time .
Watch how to make it
More kimchi recipes
15 Easy Kimchi Recipes
For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Traditional kimchi (Napa Cabbage Kimchi)
from
votes
Side Dish
Prep Time:
1
hour
Resting time:
8
hours
Total Time:
1
hour
Servings:
1
big jar
Print Recipe
Ingredients
-
▢
1 boastfully Napa cabbage about 5 to 6 pounds, or 2 small ( about 3 pounds each )
-
▢
1 cup korean coarse sea salt for making kimchi
-
▢
5 cups water
-
▢
1 pound korean radish, mu or moo ( 무 ) mu/moo
-
▢
1/4 korean pear ( 배 ) optional
-
▢
3 – 4 scallions
-
▢
Read more: Kimchi soup (Kimchi-guk)
1 part dashima ( about 2 to 3 column inch square ) boil it in 1.5 cups of water for 5 minutes
Seasonings
-
▢
1 tablespoon gluey rice powder, 찹쌀가루 Mix it with 1/2 cup water ( or optional dashima broth ) simmer over low hotness until it thickens to a thin paste and cool. Yields about 3 – 4 tablespoons .
-
▢
1/2 cup gochugaru, 고추가루, Korean red chili capsicum flakes – align to your taste
-
▢
1/4 cup salted prawn ( saeujeot ), 새우젓, finely minced
-
▢
3 – 4 naked shrimps, about 2 ounces, finely minced or crunch – optional
-
▢
3 tablespoons myulchiaekjeot fish sauce, 멸치액젓
-
▢
3 tablespoons minced garlic
-
▢
1 teaspoon grated ginger
-
▢
1 teaspoon sesame seeds – optional
-
▢
1/2 cup water or dashima ( dried kelp ) broth
Kitchen tools
-
▢
2 large bowls or pots 7 – 8 quarts
-
▢
a large colander
-
▢
kitchen gloves
-
▢
3/4 – 1 gallon airtight container or jar
Instructions
-
Cut the compact white function of the pilfer lengthways in half. then, slowly pull apart by bridge player to separate into two pieces. Do the same for each half to make quarters. Running the tongue through all the way would unnecessarily cut off the pilfer leaves .
-
In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 cup of salt in 5 cups of water. Thoroughly bathe each cabbage quarter in the salt water one at a time, shake off excess water back into the bowl, and then transfer to another bowl.
-
Using the other half cup of salt and starting from the outermost leaf, generously sprinkle salt over the thick white part of each leaf (similar to salting a piece of meat). Try to salt all the cabbage quarters with 1/2 cup salt, but you can use a little more if needed. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage quarters. Pour the remaining salt water from the first bowl over the cabbage. Set aside for about 6 – 8 hours, rotating the bottom ones to the top every 2 – 3 hours.
-
The cabbages should be quick to be washed when the white parts of the leaves are easily bendable. Rinse thoroughly 3 times, particularly between the white parts. Drain well, cut slope down .
-
Meanwhile, make the optional dashima broth by boiling a small piece (2 to 3 inch square) in 1.5 cup of water for 5 minutes, and cool. Mix the rice powder with 1/2 cup water (or optional dashima broth) and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a thin paste, and cool.
-
Prepare the garlic, ginger and saeujeot. Combine all the seasoning ingredients, including the rice paste and about 1/2 cup water (or the optional dashima broth), and mix well. Set aside until the red pepper flakes to dissolve slightly and become pasty.
-
Cut the radish and optional pear into matchsticks (use a mandoline if desired), transferring to a large bowl. Cut the scallions diagonally into about 1-inch long pieces.
Add the prepared seasoning mix to the radish, and mix well by hand. Throw in the scallions, and mix everything lightly. Taste a little bit. It should be a little too salty to eat as is. You can add salt, more salted shrimp or fish sauce, as needed. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld nicely.
-
Cut off the tough stem part from each cabbage quarter, leaving enough to hold the leaves in concert. Place one pilfer quarter in the bowl with the radish blend. Spread the radish mix over each leaf, one to two tablespoons for large leaves. ( Eyeball the stuffing into 4 parts and use one part for each cabbage draw. )
-
Fold the leaf part of the cabbage over toward the stem and nicely wrap it with the outermost leaf. Place it, cut side up, in a jar or airtight container. Repeat with the remaining cabbages. If you have lose large leaves, you can use them to cover the top of the kimchi (see note 1). Once all the cabbages are in the jar or airtight container, press down hard to remove air pockets. Rinse the bowl that contained the radish mix with 1/2 cup of water (or any remaining optional dashima broth) and pour into the kimchi container. Close the lid.
-
Leave it out at room temperature for a full day or two, depending on the weather and how fast you want your kimchi to ripen. A half day is recommended during hot summer days. Then, store in the fridge. (See note 2.)
Notes
- You can cover the top of the kimchi with large outer green leaves (as I did in the video) if available. Some people also use a plastic wrap to cover. But, this is not absolutely necessary, especially for this small batch kimchi.
- Although you can start eating it any time, kimchi needs about two weeks in the fridge to fully develop the flavors. It maintains great flavor and texture for several weeks.
Tried this recipe ? Mention @ koreanbapsang or chase # koreanbapsang This kimchi recipe was in the first place posted in January 2012. I ’ ve updated it here with newfangled photos, more information and minor changes to the recipe .
