Kimchi Recipe

WHAT IS KIMCHI?

Kimchi is a spicy, fermented cabbage, a lot like sauerkraut, but with Korean flavours – garlic, ginger & Korean chilies. Kimchi is like the heart and soul of Korean cooking and goes with so many things.

The best thing about Kimchi is that it's full of living, healthy good bacteria, or probiotics, that boost immunity, energize the body and aid digestion.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

This easy kimchi recipe makes enough to fill a large 1kg jar

Ingredients

1 Chinese cabbage

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2.5cm/1in piece ginger, grated

2 tbsp fish sauce (optional)

2 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce or chilli paste

1 tbsp golden caster sugar

3 tbsp rice vinegar

8 radishes, coarsely grated

2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or coarsely grated

4 spring onions, finely shredded

METHOD

STEP 1

Slice the cabbage into 2.5cm strips. Tip into a bowl, mix with 1 tbsp sea salt, then set aside for 1 hr. Meanwhile, make the kimchi paste by blending the garlic, ginger, fish sauce (if using), chilli sauce, sugar and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

STEP 2

Rinse the cabbage under cold running water, drain and dry thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl and toss through the paste, along with the radishes, carrot and spring onions. Pack into a large jar, seal and leave to ferment at room temperature overnight, then chill. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks - the flavour will improve the longer it's left.

WHAT TEMPERATURE TO FERMENT KIMCHI

The ideal temperature for fermenting kimchi 55-65 degrees.  

The cooler it is, the slower it will take to ferment. The warmer, the faster.

The longer you ferment the tangier and the softer the kimchi will get. Going too much over 70 degrees may have negative effects on the flavour.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF KIMCHI IS FERMENTING?

After 2 days. Tap the jar to see if any bubbles rise to the top - indicating that it is fermenting.

Taste the kimchi for tanginess.

Continue to ferment for 2 more days if you want it tangier or softer, then place in the fridge.

Once you have it in the fridge, taste again. It will continue to ferment but at a much slower rate. It will develop more flavour and complexity over the next two weeks in the fridge, and the spice level will mellow with time.

STORING YOUR KIMCHI

Keep fermented kimchi in a jar with the lid on, pressing it down under the brine after each use.

It will keep for months on end in the fridge when the kimchi is submerged below the brine…. getting better and more flavourful with time.