How Koreans Kimchi

By Doobydobap · 90 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Make a 4-5 cm deep cut in the rounded base of each cabbage, then pull the cabbage apart into halves (quarter them for faster salting).
2. Rub a generous amount of salt between the leaves, massaging it into the thicker stalk parts.
3. Put the salted cabbage in a ziplock bag or large container and leave at room temperature for 2 hours, turning it every 30 minutes.
4. Cut the daikon, scallions and chives into 3 cm matchsticks, put them in a large bowl, add the fish sauce and shrimp paste, mix, and set aside.
5. Boil the glutinous rice with the water on medium-high heat, stirring so it does not stick and burn. After 20 minutes it should be a glue-like paste; add water if needed to make it spreadable. Let it cool.
6. Roughly chop the onion, pear, ginger and garlic, then blend them with ¼ cup of the rice glue into a sauce.
7. Add the sauce to the vegetable filling and mix.
8. Check the cabbage with a bend test: the leaves should bend without snapping. If not wilted enough, salt for 30 more minutes.
9. Rinse the cabbage in running water to remove excess salt, repeat if needed, then squeeze out excess moisture and place on a medium tray.
10. Spread about ½ cup of filling over each cabbage, massaging it gently between the leaves to cover every part.
11. Fold each cabbage in half and pack into a container that limits air exposure, such as a Mason jar or airtight container.
12. For fermented kimchi, leave at room temperature for 3 days, then refrigerate.

Summarized from Doobydobap's video. Watch it for the details.

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GarlicOnionGingerScallionRiceCabbageDaikonNapa cabbage