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Traditional Kimchi

Cuisine Korean
Keyword chili inspired recipes, kimchi, korean recipe
Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Fermentation Time 2 days 2 hours
Total Time 2 days 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 3 kg

Equipment

  • Fermentation containers A traditional ongi pot is lovely if you've got one, or a good sauerkraut crock with a water moat. But honestly? A BPA-free plastic tub works just fine.
  • Large bowl or tray for salting the cabbage
  • Knife
  • Chopping board
  • Small bowl for mixing the paste
  • Grater for ginger
  • Gloves (nitrile or latex preferable)
  • Kitchen scales optional
  • Garlic press or mincer optional
  • Julienne peeler or mandoline optional

Ingredients

Cabbage

  • 2 kg Chinese/napa cabbages
  • 50 g Sea salt, Kosher salt or Pickling salt roughly 25g per kg of cabbage

Paste

  • 2-3 cups Gochugaru or chilli powder of choice
  • 18 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 Onion medium
  • 2 tsp Fresh ginger finely grated
  • 0.5 cup Fish sauce soy sauce for vegan version
  • 1 tsp Thai Shrimp paste if you can get Saeujeot, use that instead (3 tbsp)

Porridge

  • 2 cups Water
  • 2 tbsp Sweet Rice Flour
  • 2 tbsp Turbinado Sugar white or brown sugar is fine too

Optional additions

  • 200 g Daikon radish julienned, matchstick length
  • 4-5 Spring onions cut into 3cm pieces
  • 100 g Carrots julienned, matchstick length

Instructions

Prep the cabbage (15 minutes)

  • Trim the base where the core is too woody
  • Halve the cabbages, small slice at the base to halve once again later
  • Give a good rinse in cold water
  • Remove any seriously damaged outer leaves

Salt the leaves (2 hours)

  • Sprinkle sea salt generously between the leaves
  • Leave cabbage in a large bowl or tray
  • Flip or turn the cabbage every 30 minutes
  • Salt will draw moisture out (this is what you want)
  • When turning, scoop the resulting liquid over the cabbages

Rinse and prepare (10 minutes)

  • After 2 hours, rinse cabbage thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt
  • Allow to drain dry
  • Leaves should be pliable at this stage

Make the chilli paste (5 minutes)

  • In a bowl, combine gochugaru (or chilli powder), minced garlic, grated ginger, and fish sauce
  • Taste it (should be punchy, garlicky, with good chilli kick)
  • Mix the vegetables into the paste

Assemble (20 minutes)

  • Put on gloves (seriously, this makes cleanup much easier)
  • Split the halves into quarters, using the cut you made earlier
  • Take each cabbage leaf and spread paste onto it, down to the base. Coat generously
  • Fold the cabbage onto itself making a small pouch
  • Pack tightly into your fermentation container (ongi pot, crock, or plastic tub)
  • Press down firmly to eliminate air pockets
  • Any leftover paste can go on top

Ferment (24-48 hours)

  • Leave at room temperature (18-22°C is ideal)
  • Within 24 hours you should see bubbles forming
  • For mild, fresh kimchi: refrigerate after 24 hours
  • For tangier, funkier kimchi: leave 48 hours before refrigerating
  • Once refrigerated, it will continue to ferment slowly