Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Traditional Korean kimchi, made by curing napa cabbage as the main ingredient. Tangy and spicy, it is a staple side dish commonly prepared for winter.
Ingredients
napa cabbage (remove root, cut in half lengthwise)
1 head (about 200g)
ground pepper
50g
green onion (peel, wash, mince)
80g
garlic (peel, wash, mince)
40g
red chili pepper (wipe clean, remove stem, mince)
15g
ginger (peel, wash, mince)
15g
beef broth
500ml
light soy sauce
15g
MSG (monosodium glutamate)
5g
sugar
50g
salt
125g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Peel the green onions, garlic, and ginger, wash them, and mince. Wipe the red chili peppers clean, remove the stems, and mince.
2
Step 2
Remove the root of the napa cabbage, cut it in half lengthwise, and sun-dry for half a day. Then place it in an unglazed ceramic jar, sprinkling with salt and ground pepper layer by layer. After finishing, cover with a wooden lid sized to fit the jar opening so the lid presses down on the cabbage.
3
Step 3
Press with heavy stones on top. After 2–3 days, rinse the cabbage thoroughly with cold water and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Next, stuff the minced green onion, garlic, chili, and ginger between the cabbage layers. Mix the beef broth with soy sauce, sugar, and MSG, then pour to fill the jar. Seal with oil paper and cover. After 15 days of fermentation, the kimchi jar can be buried half underground, covered to prevent rain or snow from seeping in.
4
Step 4
Enjoy the kimchi from winter through the following spring. When serving, you may add pollock, squid, fruit, pear, radish, etc., according to your preference, but never add shellfish or clam meat.
5
Step 5
In very cold winter, kimchi can be made without refrigeration, but in warmer weather, store it in the refrigerator.
