Easy Kimchi Recipe

Enjoy this spicy & tangy fermented condiment on everything. No really, this stuff is amazing. Apart from the traditional ways of enjoying this with Korean foods, such as BBQ’d meats, we like this on scrambled eggs on toast, in our chicken burgers & we even use the fermented liquid to marinade meat for jerky!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Chinese/Napa cabbage
• 100g salt

Kimchi paste:

• 300ml water
• 1.5 tablespoons rice flour
• 8 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red chilli powder)
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1-2 carrot, julienned
• 1-2 daikon radish, julienned
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 6-8 cm fresh ginger knob, peeled & finely chopped
• 1 apple, chopped and pulsed into mash
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons shrimp paste
• 1 Mad Millie Vegetable Culture sachet (optional)

EQUIPMENT

• Fermentation vessel; we use our Green Living Fermentation System. It includes pail, grate, lid with hole for airlock + airlock, as well as a lid to use once the fermentation has completed so that it stores easily in your fridge.
• Mixing bowl
• Small saucepan
• Disposable gloves
• Sanitiser of choice

YIELD

Approximately 1.8kg Kimchi

RECIPE

1. Remove the outer leaves from the Chinese/Napa cabbage. Using a sharp knife make cut 10-15 cm down to the base of the cabbage. Use this cut to gently pull apart the cabbage down the midline. Repeat this with the halves so that you are left with quarters.

1. Fill a large bowl with water and soak the quarters completely, remove and shake well to rid excess water. Use the salt to rub each leaf individually, ensuring the thick bases of each leaf is particularly well coated. Once coated well, transfer to a clean container and cover, preferably something airtight. Allow to brine for 6 hours. Turn the cabbage half way through.
2. To make the kimchi paste bring 300 ml of water to a boil. Add the rice flour and reduce heat, whisking to avoid lumps. Once the mixture is thick enough that it coats the back of a spoon remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled add the remainder of the kimchi paste ingredients to the mixture and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
3. After the 6 hour mark, wash the cabbage quarters under running water to remove excess salt, then shake well to remove excess water.
4. Using disposable gloves, with each quarter, rub a small handful of the paste between each layer of cabbage leaf, ensuring the thick stems are particularly well coated.
5. Sanitise your fermentation vessel of choice.
6. Once all quarters are well covered with the paste, roll them tightly & pack them into the fermentation vessel. Once vessel has been filled, push the kimchi down well to remove any excess air. Also pour any remaining kimchi paste on the top, this will help form a barrier against air and prevent mould from forming. Also leave a small airgap at the top of the vessel to avoid any explosions as fermentation begins to occur!
7. Leave the vessel at room temperature and out of direct sunlight for 3-4 days. Afterwards, place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 weeks (and try to resist the urge to crack into it sooner!) to allow the tangy flavours of fermentation to occur.