How to Make Kimchi Like a Korean

napa cabbage

🥗Healthier: savoy cabbage

💰Cheaper: green cabbage

Savoy cabbage is more nutritious, while green cabbage is often less expensive.

fish sauce

💰Cheaper: soy sauce

Soy sauce is a budget-friendly alternative for a vegetarian option.

Remove the outermost leaves from the Chinese cabbage if they are still on.

Make two cross cuts on the base of the cabbage deep enough to split it in half and then into quarters.

Chop each quarter of the cabbage lengthwise and place it in a large pot.

Sprinkle the chopped cabbage with sea salt to help draw out water and soften it.

Let the salted cabbage sit for a few hours to overnight.

Cut the daikon radish into sticks using a mandolin or knife.

Cut small green onions into similar-sized pieces and add them to a bowl with the daikon radish.

In a blender, combine an onion, a large handful of garlic, and fish sauce to make a paste.

In a small saucepan, mix 500 mL of room temperature water with 2 large tablespoons of rice flour and bring it to a boil while constantly mixing until it thickens.

Add the onion, garlic, and fish sauce paste to the thickened rice flour mixture and mix well.

Gradually add gochugaru to the paste until it reaches a consistency that can coat the cabbage pieces.

Wash the cabbage under fresh water and ring out as much water as possible with your hands.

Add the daikon radish and green onions to the cabbage and toss to mix evenly.

Put on gloves and mix in the spicy kimchi paste until the cabbage is evenly coated.

Taste the kimchi and adjust saltiness or spiciness with more fish sauce, salt, or gochugaru if needed.

Pack the kimchi into a glass jar, pressing it down as you fill it.

Add a layer of plastic wrap or a plastic bag on top to prevent air contact and close the lid of the jar.

Ferment the kimchi at room temperature for about 1-2 days before moving it to the fridge.

After 1-2 days, transfer the kimchi to the fridge for up to a week for further fermentation.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens