Kimchi
A delicious, homemade kimchi recipe passed down in our family. This method uses a blended paste for a smooth texture and appear for natural sweetness, creating a truly unique and flavourful kimchi.
Materials
For the Cabbage
- 2 large napa cabbages
- coarse sea salt (for brining)
For the Glutinous Rice Porridge
- 2-3 large spoonfuls of glutinous rice flour (찹쌀가루)
- 1 cup water
For the Blended Seasoning Base
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 small thumbnail-sized pieces ginger
- 50 ml Korean anchovy fish sauce (멸치액젓)
- ½ medium white onion
- 1 small wedge Korean pear (or Gala Apple)
- ½ tbsp bouillon / Stock Powder
- 1 tsp fish powder heaped
- 1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
For the Final Paste & Assembly
- 6 tbsp gochugaru (Korean Red Chili Flakes)
- 1 carrot julienned
- 1 bunch spring Onions chopped
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepare the Cabbage
- Salt the Napa cabbage generously between each leaf. Let it sit for 3 hours until the thick, white parts are completely soft and bend easily without snapping.
- Afterwards, rinse the cabbage thoroughly under cold water 3-4 times to remove all the excess salt and let it drain completely
Make the Porridge
- In a small pot, whisk the glutinous rice flour and water until smooth.
- Heat over a medium flame, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble
- Removefrom the heat and set aside to cool completely.
Create the Seasoning Paste
- Combine the garlic, ginger, onion, pear/apple wedge, fish sauce, bouillon powder, and fish powder in a blender. Blend on high until it forms a smooth liquid.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your 6 spoons of Gochugaru.
- Pour the blended liquid and the completely cooled rice porridge into the bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt.
- Mix everything until it forms a uniform red paste. Taste the paste and add more salt if needed—it should be boldly flavoured.
- Stir in the julienned carrots and chopped spring onions.
Make the Kimchi
- Wearing gloves, take a drained cabbage quarter and generously spread the finished paste between each individual leaf.
- For our family's special touch, finish with a light drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
- Pack the finished kimchi tightly into a jar or container. Let it ferment at room temperature for 1–3 days before moving it to the refrigerator.
Notes from Our Kitchen
- Natural Sweetness: We use a small piece of pear or a sweet apple instead of sugar. It gives the kimchi a wonderful, fresh sweetness.
- Make Ahead: This recipe makes enough paste for two cabbages. You can use half now and freeze the other half in an airtight container for your next batch!
- Finishing Touch: The sesame oil and seeds at the end are our family's secret. It adds a lovely nutty aroma.
Notes
