Easy Kimchi
This kimchi isn’t particularly spicy so if you are afraid to try it because you think you don’t like spicy food, I’d encourage you to try it anyway. There are also “white” kimchis that have no chili flakes added at all but still have lots of flavour and probiotics. You can even make it vegan!
Adapted from https://drbenkim.com/how-make-kim-chi.htm
This kimchi requires 4 hours of hands-off time, followed by 3 weeks of fermenting in the fridge so plan accordingly.
- 500 grams sui choy (napa/chinese cabbage)
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- warm water
- 1/4 cup Korean red chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced)
- 3 green onions/scallions (minced)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional)
- 1/2 onion (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 1 cored apple or pear (or a combination of the two)
- 1/2-1 cup water
- Step 1 - Prep the Cabbage
Chop the sui choy into chunks the size you would like your kimchi to be when finished.
Dissolve the kosher salt in a bowl of warm water, add the cabbage and toss it around a few times. Let sit for 4 hours.
- Step 2 - add the Oomph!
After 4 hours, rinse the cabbage to remove some of the salt and set it aside to drain. In a bowl, mix gochugaru, garlic, ginger, scallions and optional fish sauce.
In a blender, blend the apple/pear, onion and water. Start with the smaller amount of water and add more if you think you need it.
Mix the rinsed and drained cabbage, gochugaru mixture and the fruit and onion mixture all together. Mix it well and start pressing it into a mason jar in layers. Pour any liquid that has accumulated over the top and give the kimchi another firm pressing. Ideally you should have a couple of inches of head-room before adding the lid. You might want to place the jar on a dish or in a bowl as kimchi sometimes bubbles over and can make a mess in your fridge.
- Step 3 - Let it Ferment
Put the covered jar in the fridge for 3 weeks. Start eating it after 3 weeks, keeping it in the fridge so it ferments slowly.
After 3 weeks your delicious kimchi will be ready to eat. I like kimchi room temperature, not straight out of the fridge, so I try to remember to take some out about an hour before eating.
