Kimchi
Kimchi is fermented cabbage and the essential flavouring in Korean dishes. The taste is fresh, tangy, and quite spicy. The smell is very dominant, consider yourself warned :)
Ingredients:
1 Chinese cabbage of about 1 kilogram
75 grams of salt
70 ml of water
1 tablespoon of rice flour
2 teaspoons of sugar
30 grams of gochugaru chili powder, available at Asian supermarkets or pul biber at Turkish supermarkets
10 grams of sugar
50 ml of Asian fish sauce
7 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 piece of ginger (half an inch), peeled and sliced
Half an onion
4 spring onions
1 small carrot
2 preserving jars or large jam jars, well boiled and with matching lids or
Preparation:
Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Then slice it into strips or bite-sized pieces. Rinse the cabbage with water in a colander and transfer it to a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and rub the salt over the leaves. Then pour cold water over it until the cabbage is just submerged. Let it sit for 2 hours, stirring the cabbage well after 1 hour. Then drain the cabbage, rinse thoroughly, and taste to see if it has a lightly salted flavour (if it’s too salty, rinse again) and let it drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, heat the rice flour with the water and sugar, let it simmer gently, and stir well until you have a smooth paste. Allow to cool.
Blend the fish sauce with the garlic, ginger, and onion in a food processor, then add the rice flour paste and chili, mixing well. This is the kimchi paste.
Slice the carrot into fine rounds or julienne and cut the spring onions into 3 cm pieces.
In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, carrot, and spring onions with the kimchi paste, ensuring all the vegetables are well coated, which is important! Fill the jars with the coated vegetables, pressing down well to about a centimetre below the rim. Ensure there is enough kimchi paste on top. Put the lid on and leave for 2 days at room temperature with a cloth over it. After the first day, open the jar, press down again, and set it aside. After these 2 days, you can place the jars in the fridge. After 2 to 3 weeks, your kimchi will be at its best!
By: Marleen
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