This recipe is mainly based on Maangchi's traditional napa cabbage kimchi. Her website is an excellent resource for all sorts of Korean cooking. She has been sharing her recipes online and on YouTube for long enough that I am somewhat of a Maangchi loyalist when it comes to learning Korean recipes online. I've also incorporated feedback from Korean friends with Opinions.
While in Bombay Beach, we made two large batches of kimchi for each house to share - the first time without the rice porridge which included a vegan version. It was less complex in ingredients and flavor, but both times used the same whole-cabbage preparation technique and both were delicious. We never had fermented shrimp paste on hand, but I normally skip that anyway because honestly I'm afraid of spilling it in my house and having to move out.
- 2 x 2 gallon jars with plastic lids to store the kimchi. You can use a traditional onggi, or any container with a tight fitting lid. Try to avoid metal or plastic containers.
- Large bin for soaking/washing cabbage.
- Food-safe gloves. Unless you don't mind your hands getting very stained, spicy, or smelly.
- (optional) Food processor. Makes the mincing/chopping etc go by much faster. Totally optional though very helpful if you're making a large batch.
- 2-3 napa cabbages of medium size (about 12 inches tall) ~ 6lbs.
- 1/2 cup kosher salt. Good to have extra on hand.
- (optional) 2 cups julienned daikon radish
- (optional) 1 cup julienned carrots
The porridge helps the paste mixture stick better to the cabbages, and kick-starts the fermentation. Its use is optional, but recommended.
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tbsp glutinous rice four (don't substitute another kind of rice flour)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 12 scallions, roughly chopped (white and green parts)
The following ingredients can be tossed into a food processor together if you have one instead of mincing by hand:
- 1/2 cup garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp ginger, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 1/2 cup fish sauce (for a vegan version, substitute with 1/2 cup konbu dashi & 2 Tbsp dulse flakes — fish sauce can also be added after the primary fermentation, but the depth of flavor will suffer)
- 2 cups gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
There is a 2 hour rest time at the end of this which is fairly passive - use this time to do Part 2
- Cut each napa lengthwise into quarters so that the leaves stay attached.
- Give each quarter a quick dip/rinse in water. This will help the salt stick.
- Salt the napa leaves one at a time starting with the outer layer: without breaking off the leaves, spread an even layer of salt on the inside of each leaf. Use more at the thicker stems - I like to give it a firm but gentle massage on these spots. You want to insert the salt into the rosette base without damaging the leaf.
- Let salted sections rest in a tub or large bowl for 2 hours. You will notice that the salt will draw water out of the napa. Every 1/2 hour during the rest, flip the sections over, redistributing the produced liquid. By the end of this process the napa quarters should be noticeably limp and partially translucent.
- Combine 2 cups of water and 2 Tbsp of glutinous rice flour in a small pot. Cook over medium heat until it bubbles, about 10 mins.
- Add 2 Tbsp sugar and continue stirring for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
- In a bowl, combine the cooled porridge, scallions, garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce (if using), and gochugaru. Mix well, forming a thick paste. If not using the porrige, combine the remaining ingredients as is.
- Add the julienned daikon and carrots.
- Wash the napa. Be thorough, since it hasn't really been washed properly yet. I did this in a huge bin with a garden hose in the Pirates yard which was excessive but very effective and fun. Be careful not to break off too many leaves from the core - some parts will come off, just add them into the kimchi paste! When you taste the napa after washing it should taste salty, but not too salty.
- Put some gloves on at this point if you haven't already (or be ready for the consequences of having hands soaked in hot pepper, consult @vaporstack for a related story)
- Using the same method as the salt application, spread the kimchi paste over each leaf, again paying close attention to the base. After you finish stuffing each section, wrap it snuggly around itself and place in the jar, forming a spiral.
- While packing the jar, press down to force air out between layers. It should be tightly packed down, with no voids or vegetables protruding significantly out of the mixture. Leave approximately 20% headroom - the liquid will expand during fermentation and may bubble over or even explode if given insufficient space. Plastic lids will help prevent this from happening, as will releasing some of the excess gas as necessary. Traditional onggi are made of a porous material and have a relatively loose-fitting lid, which allows the ferment to off-gas passively.
- Store in a cool dark place for at least 2 days. This can be flexible - longer fermentation will produce a deeper and more complex flavor. You should see tiny bubbles forming during this process. The bottom-left locker at Pirates was used as the fermentation chamber (and probably still smells like it!)
- I suggest taking out a sample to taste as you let it ferment. Once it's to your liking, store it in the fridge. It will continue to ferment in the fridge, just at a much slower pace. You can also experiment by using multiple vessels so you can enjoy some immediately while the rest gets funkier.