Easy Classic Kimchi
This classic kimchi is crisp, tangy, and good for you. It is quick and easy to put together and only takes a few days to ferment. It is my go-to kimchi recipe and it can be made vegan-friendly.
Servings: 64 oz
Ingredients
Cabbage
- 3-4 tbsp coarse sea salt about 3% of the weight of the napa cabbage
- 1 small napa cabbage or 1/2 a large napa cabbage
Kimchi paste
- 1 tbsp glutinous rice flour*
- 1 cup water*
- 1/2 cup gochugaru
- 3 tbsp Korean fish sauce or light soy sauce
- 1.5 tsp salt or more fish sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp ginger finely minced
- 1 stalk scallion or chives cut into 2 inch pieces
Extras veggies
- carrot julienned
- daikon optional
Instructions
- Chop the napa cabbage and thoroughly wet with water. Place it in a bowl and generously sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Toss the napa and add more salt to evenly coat. Allow the napa to rest for about 4 hours, stirring the mixture every hour.For a more traditional cut, see step 1b in the "The method" section in this blog post. If you are adding daikon to the kimchi salt it in a similar way at this time.
- Make the seasoning paste: mix rice flour with water in a pot and heat over medium heat, stirring until thickened ~5 minutes. Add the paste to a large bowl and mix in fish sauce, gochugaru, and sugar. Add in finely chopped up garlic and ginger followed by chopped scallions or chives and carrots (if using).
- When the napa cabbage is soft-- it can easily bent but still holds a crunch-- it is ready. Thoroughly rinse the napa cabbage (and daikon if using) with water and drain.
- Massage the seasoning paste into the napa cabbage and transfer to a fermentation container (I like to use mason jars). Tightly pack the kimchi to remove as much air pockets as possible.
- Cover and place it on a drip tray. This will help with any spilling that may occur during the fermentation process. Let the kimchi ferment in a dark space (like a pantry or in the cabinet under the sink) for about two to four days. You should start seeing it become bubbly.
- After 2-4 days, check the flavor to see if it suits your taste preference. If it is not sour enough, let it go for longer. The longer the kimchi ferments, the more sour it will be. When you are ready to open the container, be careful and open it over a sink. Fermentation introduces gases that build up pressure in the jar. When the pressure is released, by opening the jar, its contents will try to force its way out.
- Store in the fridge and enjoy within 3 months. You can save any leftover kimchi juice to add to your next kimchi ferment. This kick starts the good fermentation bacteria culture.
Notes
You can also use blended up apples or pear in place of the glutinous rice flour and water mixture.