Kimchi (Korean sauerkraut)
Rating: 2 forks (key) Only one daughter and I will eat this but we LOVE it.
Difficulty:
Easy – makes slightly less than 2 quarts
Page in NT: 94
Ingredients:
1 large head napa cabbage (the type of cabbage is important to get the traditional look of kimchi)
1 bunch of spring/green onions
1/2 cup grated carrots (optional)
1/2 cup daikon radish grated
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
4 Tablespoons whey
1 Tablespoon sea salt (add only 2 teaspoons if you use the fish sauce)
1 Tablespoon non-MSG added fermented fish sauce (there’s a recipe in NT that I haven’t made yet, or you can purchase a bottle)
1/4 cup of Kochukaru (Korean chili pepper powder – look for this in your Asian market) —- OR —- 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes (red pepper flakes)
Preparation:
Cut each napa cabbage leaf in half lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces (bite-sized). Cut the green/spring onions into thin disks and also use most of the green parts too.
Combine all of the vegetables, the salt and the whey in a large non-reactive bowl. Squeeze the veggies with your hands until juices are released. I usually do this about 10 minutes and it really helps your stress levels.
Add the garlic, ginger, fish sauce and chili pepper and combine them well into the vegetable mixture.
Pack the kimchi into quart jars, making sure that there is some liquid above the kimchi. Let sit out on the counter unrefrigerated for 3 days.
After 3 days, refrigerate the kimchi to slow the fermentation process. You can start using it immediately but it gets even better with age.
Photo courtesy of hyunwoosun on Flickr
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