Kimchi
This is a basic kimchi recipe that I've been making for several years now. I remember I posted this on my old Tiktok account and a lot of you gave me feedback, and I've incorporated it into this final version :).
Ingredients
- 2 large heads napa cabbage (about 8 pounds)
- 1 cup salt
- ¼ cup glutinous rice flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups chopped apple
- 1 ½ cups chopped onion
- ½ cup garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- ¼ cup Korean salted shrimp (you can buy this at a Korean grocery store)
- ½ cup fish sauce
- 2 cups gochugaru (Korean dried chili flakes)
- 8 scallions (chopped)
- 2 cups julienned daikon
Instructions
Salting the cabbage
- To split the cabbages in half, cut through the base of the cabbage then use your hands to "rip" the cabbage into two halves.
- Do the same with the halves to make quarters.
- Now cut each quarter into large bite-sized pieces.
- Rinse the cabbage under water and drain in a colander.
- For this next step, I like to do it in a large roasting pan. Add a layer of cabbage followed by an even sprinkling of salt. Repeat this until all the cabbage is salted. Let this rest for 2 hours, tossing the cabbage every 30 minutes so they salt evenly.
- Rinse the cabbage thoroughly under cold water to get rid of the salt on the outside, then drain in a colander or salad spinner (I had to rinse my cabbage in about 3 changes of water).
Making the kimchi paste
- In a small saucepan, combine the glutinous rice flour, sugar, and 2 cups of water. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool to body temperature. Try to keep it below 110°F.
- In a food processor, blend the apple, onions, garlic, ginger, salted shrimp, and fish sauce into a puree.
- Now combine the rice mixture, garlic mixture, gochugaru, scallions, and daikon in a medium bowl. Mix until combined.
- Add the napa cabbage and toss until evenly coated.
- Transfer the kimchi to two large mason jars. Add the lids on loosely and let them ferment at room temperature for 1-7 days. Make sure to "burp" the jars every 12-24 hours to prevent pressure from building up. Taste a piece of kimchi every day, and when the sourness reaches your liking, transfer the kimchi to your fridge. You can store it for up to several months.