There are many different Kimchi's out there. This is just one of them.
Kimchi is a fermentation. It is a probiotic. It is alive and important to your health.
My first introduction to Kimchi, was many years ago. I had a Korean student living with us. I don't know how, but suddenly this huge plastic box arrived (I am sure her mother sent it), covered in a thick plastic bag. She said that it needed to go into my fridge. First - it took up half my fridge, second - the smell was soooooo strong, that if the lid was not on probably, I was sure everything in my fridge would turn into kimchi !!!!
Now don't be put off. My family, fell in love with this, crazy pickle. At the time, I had no idea how good it was for you. I just new, it was addictive.
My second introduction was here in Queenstown. I had a Korean friend (she is now in the States) who use to make it in huge big plastic ( clean, and new) rubbish bins. She always said, eat lots of Kimchi in winter, and you won't get sick. It is high in Vitamin C. But that would also depend on how much chilli we can cope with. :)
Kimchi is made by lacto-fermentation, the same process that creates sauerkraut and traditional pickles. In the first stage, the cabbage is soaked in a salty brine that kills off harmful bacteria. In the second stage, the remaining Lactobacillus bacteria (the good guys!) convert sugars into lactic acid, which preserves the vegetables and gives them that wonderful, tangy flavour.
Chillies - There is some much nutrition in chillies - Vitamin A, B6 and a huge amount of Vitamin C, potassium, iron and more.
See my page under ''Fermenting'' for why eating fermented foods, is so important for your health.
Kimchi Recipe -
Please use filtered water for cleaning vegetables, for this recipe
Gloves - if you don't use gloves, your hands will sting, for a long time, because of the chillies.
Container - A pottery,glass or ceramic urn or a plastic container with a tight lid.
Ingredients
2 - 4 or about 2 kg - Napa cabbages
1/2 cup salt
Kimchi Porridge ingredients -
2 cups water mixed with 2 tbsp rice flour(glutinous rice flour) or plain white flour.
2 tbsp dark sugar
Vegetables -
2 cups daikon - cut into julienne or thin sticks - buy in an Asian super-market.
Or - you can use 1 cup carrots or added both is fine- cut into julienne or thin sticks
8 spring onions, finely sliced or you can use a leek
Spices -
1/2 cup garlic cloves - minced in food processor
3 cm ginger minced
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 - 2 cups Korean red pepper flakes - You need to buy this from an Asian shop. (ask for red pepper powder for kimchi)
Method
1 - To halve the cabbage, cut a short slit at the stem, now split the cabbage gently, so the leaves come apart.
2 - Cut a slit through the core of the halves, now you are going to 1/4 them. The leaves should be attached to the stem. Repeat this process to make small portions if you have a large cabbage.
3 - Place all the leaves in a bowl of water, just to wet them. Remove.
4 - Sprinkle sea salt between each leaf, without breaking them.
Option 1 -
- Place them in a large bowl. Let them rest. The salt will now draw out water from the cabbage, causing them to be limp. Turn the leaves every 30 mins, for about 2 hours.
Option 2 -
Sprinkle the salt in between the leaves and soak in a bowl of fresh cold water with a weight on it, for 24 hours.
6 - By now the leaves will be soft. Wash the leaves under cold running water. This is to remove the salt. Drain well.
- Making your Kimchi porridge
Combine the water / flour into a small pot. Mix and cook on medium heat for 10 mins. Then add sugar. Cook for 1 min and then remove to cool.
1 - Place garlic, ginger and onion into a large bowl. Add fish sauce and red pepper flakes. Mix into a paste.
2 - Add to the paste - daikon radish or carrots or both and spring onions.
3 - With gloves on - now the fun begins - Spread the paste on each cabbage leaf. When you have finished one of the quarters, roll up and place into your container with a lid on.
4 - Leave on the bench for 2 - 3 days to ferment. The warmer the temperature the faster is will ferment.
5 - Press down on the kimchi to release air bubbles. Now store in the fridge, it will still keep fermenting. The top can dry out and all the juice goes to the bottom of the container, so try and turn the cabbage over every week.This will keep up to 1 year.
Enjoy with rice, noodles or in soup. Don't heat it before eating.
This box above is for Kimchi, and was given to me from Kosco, Asian supper market in Queenstown. I also bought the daikon, cabbage and red pepper flakes.
Chop up garlic, onion and ginger(ginger missing from photo) Or like the recipe says, place in blender.
Pictures above are the cabbage leaves in 1/4's, still attached to the stalks (trim stalks), sea salt has been sprinkled through each leaf, leave for 2 hours, but turned regular to remove water and make them limp.
Wash the salt off in water. Bring to boil water, rice flour and sugar. Add all the spices to the water mix.
Add paste or porridge to the vegetables, mix with gloves, spread the mixture through each leaf, roll up and place one by one in your containers. Cover well. Place in the fridge. You can eat it straight away but it will not be fermented and contain probiotic's until you leave it to ferment.