Making Kimchi traditionally requires a lot of time to ferment but I’ve figured out
an easier way to make it in just 3 days! It’s a Korean side dish that will amplify almost
any dish. Before we start be sure to follow me on Instagram at Honeysucklecatering and
on snapchat at HoneysuckleBee to follow my latest cooking and eating adventures!
Here, I have a head of Napa cabbage weighing in at about 3 lbs. I’ll cut it into quarters
and give the bottom layers another cut so we don’t have any large pieces. I’ll wash
and drain my chopped cabbage, then little by little add some into a large bowl, and
then sprinkling a generous amount of kosher salt with each layer. I’m using about ½
cup of kosher salt for the whole process.
Once I’m done salting the cabbage, I’ll mix it up one more time, then let it sit for
about an hour. The salt will draw all the moisture from the cabbage, leaving you with
a lifeless and limp looking cabbage like this. I’ll rinse and wash the salt out 3 more
times, and finally let it drain before moving on with the next step.
Now for the kimchi paste. I’m going to start with 5-6 cloves of garlic, which I’ll peel
by shaking between these two metal bowls. This is a cool trick to peel your garlic easily
without having any stinky hands. One small onion that I’ll peel, quarter, and add to
a blender, ½ of a korean or asian pear that I’ll peel and core. This asian pear will
give it a natural, subtle hint of sweetness. If you can’t find this you can sub for Kiwi,
Pineapples, or even Apples. A piece of ginger about 2 inches long, 2 tsps of sugar, ¼ cup
of fish sauce, ½ cup gochugaru which is korean chili pepper flakes. I don’t recommend subbing
it for red chili pepper flakes you find at the supermarket cause it’s totally different.
You can find this at any asian market. ¼ cup of water, ¼ cup of cooked white rice
and then give everything a whirl. I’m looking for a thick paste that will spread easily
over the Kimchi. And last but not least, I’ll add a tbsp of salted shrimp to give it that
unique salty flavor. This is totally optional if you don’t want it in there. I’ll give
it one more blend and then it’s ready to mix.
But before we start mixing everything together, I’m peeling and shredding 1 carrot with
my mandolin, and slicing 2 stalks of green onions. I’ll add those into the bowl with
my wilted cabbage then I’ll pour my pepper paste all over the vegetables, then mix it
really well by hand. I’m wearing these cute pink gloves so I don’t stain or burn my
hands with the hot pepper sauce.
Finally the most important step is letting the kimchi ferment. I’ll add it into this
air tight container, and let it sit for 3 days to 1 week. It’s really best after a
week but you can start eating it after 3 days when the flavors develop. I like to enjoy
this with japchae or bulgogi, but it’s really delicious over plain rice too. Or you can
go crazy and add it to my Soba Stir Fry recipe!
Have you ever made kimchi before? What has your experience been like? Comment below and
don’t forget to subscribe for more delicious and healthy recipes. Thanks for watching and
i’ll see u next time. Byeeeeeee!