Kimchi (Napa Cabbage Kimchi)

Name: Kimchi (Napa Cabbage Kimchi)
Prep time: 6 h
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 6 h 10 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 1 head Napa cabbage; 1 cup Coarse sea salt; 0.5 Korean radish; 1 handful Scallions; 1.5 cups Water; 2 tbsp Glutinous rice flour; 1 cup Gochugaru; 3 tbsp Minced garlic; 1 tbsp Minced ginger; 2 tbsp Salted shrimp; 3 tbsp Fish sauce; 1 tbsp Sugar; 0.5 Onion

Korea's iconic fermented dish — napa cabbage salted, then layered with a paste of gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and fermented seafood, and left to ferment. Crisp when fresh, deep and tangy when aged; the foundation of Korean cooking.

Ingredients

10servings

Napa cabbage · about 2-2.5kg1 head
Coarse sea salt · for brining1 cup
Korean radish · julienned0.5
Scallions · 5cm lengths1 handful
Rice porridge
Water1.5 cups
Glutinous rice flour2 tbsp
Kimchi paste
Gochugaru · fine + coarse1 cup
Minced garlic3 tbsp
Minced ginger1 tbsp
Salted shrimp · minced2 tbsp
Fish sauce · anchovy3 tbsp
Sugar · or plum syrup1 tbsp
Onion · grated0.5

Steps

Halve the cabbage through the core, salt between every leaf, and brine in salt water 4-6 hours, turning once.
⏲ 300 min
When the stems bend without snapping, rinse three times to remove salt and drain cut-side down for an hour.
⏲ 60 min
Whisk the rice flour into the water and cook over low heat, stirring, into a porridge; let it cool.
⏲ 5 min
Mix the cooled porridge with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, salted shrimp, fish sauce, sugar, and grated onion, then fold in the radish and scallions.
⏲ 3 min
Spread the paste evenly between every leaf of the brined cabbage. Wrap with an outer leaf and pack tightly into a container.
⏲ 10 min
Ferment at room temperature 1-2 days until bubbles appear, then refrigerate. Good fresh or aged.

Tips & Variations

Variations

Geotjeori: Fresh, unfermented kimchi — just dress the salted cabbage and eat right away.
Baek-kimchi: White kimchi made without chili, clean and refreshing.
Vegan kimchi: Skip the seafood; build umami with soy/doenjang or shiitake stock.
Chonggak/kkakdugi: Same paste on whole young radishes or diced radish.

Tips

Brining is 80% of it — not too salty, not under-salted; the stems should bend, not snap.
The rice porridge helps the paste cling to the cabbage and aids fermentation.
Fermented seafood (salted shrimp, fish sauce) is the key to umami — sub kelp/shiitake for vegan.
Leave it at room temp 1-2 days to kick off fermentation, then chill for deeper flavor.
Wear gloves, and press out the air in the container to avoid off-flavors.

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