Napa Cabbage Kimchi
This traditional batch of napa cabbage kimchi is tangy, crunchy, and full of flavor, perfect as a side dish or ingredient for various meals.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 8 pounds napa cabbage (about two large heads) Heads are usually ~4 lb each.
- 2 cups kosher salt About or as needed for salting.
- 1.5 cups water For the rice porridge.
- 0.33 cup rice flour Regular or glutinous for porridge.
- 1 large apple (cored and cut into chunks) Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Gala; Korean pear is traditional.
- 1 large onion (peeled and chopped)
- 20 cloves garlic (peeled) (about 3 oz / 85 g)
- 2 inches ginger (peeled and chopped) Use a knob.
- 0.5 cup fish sauce Or ¾ cup saeujot per ½ cup fish sauce.
- 2 cups coarse gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) Divided.
- 1 pound Korean radish (peeled and julienned)
- 6 ounces carrot (peeled and julienned)
- 4 ounces Asian chives (cut into 1-inch pieces) Discard the bottom 1–2 inches of the tough stem.
Instructions
Prepare the Cabbage
- Quarter each cabbage head lengthwise and rinse briefly.
- Sprinkle salt between each leaf layer, using about 2 cups total. Work the salt into the leaves so it contacts both surfaces.
- Place salted cabbages in a large bowl, weighted with a plate and something heavy (a jar or can) to speed water extraction. Let sit for 1.5–2 hours, turning once.
- The leaves should be soft and slightly translucent.
Make the Kimchi Marinade
- Stir the rice flour with 1.5 cups water in a small pot. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking until it forms a loose porridge.
- Cool slightly, then in a blender, combine the porridge, apple (or Korean pear), onion, garlic, ginger, fish sauce (or saeujot), and 1.5 cups of gochugaru. Blend to a smooth, thick paste.
- Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the julienned Korean radish, carrot, chives, and the remaining 0.5 cup gochugaru. Adjust salt or gochugaru for spice and seasoning.
Rinse and Marinate the Cabbage
- Rinse the salted cabbage thoroughly under cold running water to remove excess salt — 2–3 rinses or until the salt feel is reduced.
- Drain well. Squeeze gently to remove excess water, then cut the quarters crosswise into wide strips (about 2–3 inches).
- Wearing gloves, spread a generous amount of paste between every leaf and in any crevices. Make sure each piece is evenly coated.
- Pack the coated cabbage tightly into clean jars. Press down to remove air pockets, sealing and leaving at room temperature (68–72°F) for 1–3 days to ferment.
Notes
For vegetarian kimchi, substitute fish sauce with soy sauce and a small piece of kombu for umami. Stored in the refrigerator, kimchi keeps well for several weeks to months; flavor intensifies with time.