Kimchi Express Recipe

This is my express Kimchi recipe. Usually Koreans do what is called Kimjang, during which families and friends get together and prepare dozens to a hundred napa cabbages to make into kimchi to eat all through the winter. But I only like to eat fresh kimchi, and thanks to the green houses and napa cabbages from California, I have access to fresh napa all year!

Kimchi is traditionally made with the whole head of cabbage only cut in half or in quarters, but I like to cut my cabbage into little pieces first. The kimchi doesn't stay fresh as long but it cuts down on time a LOT, and I only make a couple heads at a time anyway and always finish the whole batch before it turns sour (fermented, some would say).

Prepare the cabbage first! This is the longest step and will take about 2 hours.

Kimchi 김치

Ingredients
- 3 heads of napa cabbage (배추)
- 2 cups of salt

To get the napa cabbage ready to make Kimchi, cut each of the napa cabbage into a quarter. Cut off the stem, and slice the quarter into thin strips of 1/2 inch. Then cut those strips into 2 or 3 sections. Put them all in a very, very large bowl. I just cut mine inside the bowl.

Fill a large size salt shaker with salt (I just use a plain measuring cup and sprinkle slow), and salt the cabbage "generously." Do it one cup at a time and pour water all over the bowl on top of the salted cabbage. Repeat until salt is all gone. (My mom just makes really, really saturated salt water. You can just pour that all over the cabbage. Just make sure that the all of undissolved salt doesn't get left on top only.)

Here is a picture of my over-sized bowl with all the salted cabbage. The water doesn't have to come up all the way to the top. The cabbage will release more water in the salt and you will be turning it over halfway through. Just fill it up with water almost all the way.

Leave the cabbage in the salt for 2-4 hours, rotating the top and bottom layer half way. When you think the cabbage is ready, pick out a small size leaf (3-4 inch long) and test it (make sure to thoroughly rinse it under running water). When the leaf bends easily and you can taste a little bit of salt (you don't want it too salty because the sauce is salty because of the fish sauce), it is ready. Rinse the cabbage a couple times and squeeze most of the water out.

*Picture of the cabbage before (very crisp and snaps if you bend it) and after.

Kimchi Sauce Recipe
*Note. This recipe is big enough for 9 heads. I usually only use a third of this for my 3 heads, then freeze the other two thirds in freezer bags until later. Then I only have to prepare the napa cabbage next time and mix with the thawed sauce. :D

Ingredients
- 3 cups of chopped Korean radish (a medium size radish)
- 1 large onion
- half cup of minced garlic (or 15-20 cloves)
- 1 cup of fish sauce
- 1/4 cup of sweet rice flour
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups of chopped green onions (I use about 2-3 bundles)
- 4 cups of Korean cayenne pepper flakes (고추가루)

Prepare the radish by chopping it very thinly or using a slicer.

Blend the onion (add the garlic if you are using the garlic cloves).

In a small pot, mix 1/4 cup of sweet rice flour with 1 1/2 cup cold water. Heat up the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

*As the mixture heats up, you will start to see little chunks. When this starts to happen, keep mixing, until the whole thing turns into a glob of glue...
In a big metal bowl (or any bowl you don't mind getting stained), mix the radish, onion juice, garlic, sweet rice glue, chopped green onions, fish sauce, sugar, and the hot pepper powder.

* My mom says this is the best tasting fish sauce (and one of the most expensive). I haven't tested any other brands, but I'm sure they'll work too. I do really like this brand though and use it in other recipes too.

* If the sauce looks too dry or too thick, you can add 1/2 cup of water.

Final step, mix the sauce with the washed and drained cabbage (squeeze the excess water out). Make sure to wear gloves when handling the sauce. It will stain your skin and clothes. Enjoy!