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Easy

Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi

👥6 people
⏲️20m
🕐5h 0m
🍽️sides and snacks
Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional Korean banchan (small side dish) consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most commonly using napa cabbage or Korean radish.

Seasons:springsummerautumnwinter

Ingredients

  1. 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
  2. Water
  3. 2 heads Napa cabbage, cut into quarters or 2-inch wedges, depending on size of cabbage
  4. 1 bulb garlic, cloves separated and peeled
  5. 1 (2-inch) piece of ginger root
  6. ¼ cup fish sauce or Korean salted shrimp
  7. 1 Asian radish, peeled and grated
  8. 1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
  9. ½ cup Korean chili powder
  10. 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
  11. Sesame oil (optional)
  12. Sesame seeds (optional)

Method

  1. Dissolve 1 cup salt in 1/2 gallon water. Soak cabbage in salt water for 3 to 4 hours.
  2. Combine garlic, ginger, and fish sauce or shrimp in a food processor or blender until finely minced.
  3. In a large bowl, combine radish, green onions, mustard greens, garlic mixture, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt and optional sugar. Toss gently but thoroughly. (If mixing with your hands, be sure to wear rubber gloves to avoid chili burn.)
  4. Remove cabbage from water and rinse thoroughly. Drain cabbage in a colander, squeezing as much water from the leaves as possible. Take cabbage and stuff radish mixture between leaves, working from outside in, starting with largest leaf to smallest. Do not overstuff, but make sure the radish mixture adequately fills the leaves. When the entire cabbage is stuffed, take one of the larger leaves and wrap tightly around the rest of the cabbage. Divide cabbage among 4 (1-quart) jars or 1-gallon jar, pressing down firmly to remove any air bubbles.
  5. Let sit for 2 to 3 days in a cool place before serving. Remove kimchi from the jar and slice into 1-inch-length pieces. If serving before kimchi is fermented, sprinkle it with a little bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds. Refrigerate after opening.
  6. This recipe makes approximately (4) 1 qt jars.

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