Refreshing and Flavorful Kimchi
✨ Easy and Delicious Fresh Kimchi Recipe at Home! ✨
Introducing a wonderfully crisp and refreshing kimchi that’s perfect for any occasion! This recipe uses simple ingredients to create a deeply satisfying flavor, making it a great everyday side dish. It’s made without flour paste for a clean taste, and we’ve added blended radish and onion to enhance its cool and palate-cleansing qualities. Enjoy this irresistibly sweet and tangy kimchi that everyone will love! 😊
Main Ingredients- Half head of Napa cabbage (approx. 900g)
- 10 stalks of chives (approx. 60g)
Base for Seasoning- 1/2 onion
- Radish (approx. 40g)
- Leek (white part included, approx. 25g)
For Salting Cabbage- 3 Tbsp coarse sea salt
Kimchi Seasoning- 2 Tbsp blended onion
- 1 Tbsp blended radish
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped leek (white part)
- 4 Tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp fermented anchovy sauce (myeolchi aekjeot)
- 3 Tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 2 pinches of salt
- A little toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 onion
- Radish (approx. 40g)
- Leek (white part included, approx. 25g)
For Salting Cabbage- 3 Tbsp coarse sea salt
Kimchi Seasoning- 2 Tbsp blended onion
- 1 Tbsp blended radish
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped leek (white part)
- 4 Tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp fermented anchovy sauce (myeolchi aekjeot)
- 3 Tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 2 pinches of salt
- A little toasted sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp blended onion
- 1 Tbsp blended radish
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped leek (white part)
- 4 Tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp fermented anchovy sauce (myeolchi aekjeot)
- 3 Tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 2 pinches of salt
- A little toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, remove a few outer leaves of the cabbage that are wilted or dirty; these can be used for soup. Rinse the half-head of cabbage thoroughly, then make a cut at the base and carefully split it in half. It’s helpful to trim off the tough core at the bottom in a triangular shape, which allows the seasoning to penetrate better.
Step 2
With the halved cabbage laid open, separate the leaf part from the stem part, dividing each in half. Now, cut the stem part into bite-sized pieces. First, cut it into 6 lengthwise segments, and then into 2 segments crosswise to create manageable pieces. Place the prepared stems in a plastic bag, sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of coarse sea salt, and shake the bag well to ensure the salt coats the stems evenly.
Step 3
Similarly, prepare the leaf parts. Cut smaller leaves into about 4 pieces and larger leaves into about 6 pieces for easy eating. Place these cut leaves on top of the salted stems (from step 2) and shake the bag again to mix the leaves and stems thoroughly. This ensures the salt is distributed evenly throughout the cabbage.
Step 4
Remove as much air as possible from the plastic bag containing the cabbage, seal it, and let it rest for 20 minutes to salt. After 20 minutes, flip the cabbage and let it salt for another 20 minutes. Once salted for a total of 40 minutes, rinse the cabbage thoroughly under running water about 3 times to remove excess salt. Finally, place it in a colander and let it drain for about 10 minutes to completely remove excess water.
Step 5
While the cabbage is salting, prepare the delicious kimchi seasoning. Grate the onion and radish, and finely chop the leek. When using a blender or grater, be sure to include all the juice from the grated radish and onion for a richer flavor. *Adding radish helps to develop natural sweetness and beneficial lactic acid bacteria in the kimchi. Also, add the minced garlic and minced ginger.
Step 6
Now, in a bowl, combine the prepared seasoning ingredients with fine gochugaru, anchovy sauce, sugar, and 2 pinches of salt. Mix everything well to create the seasoning paste. As the cabbage salts and drains, this paste will mature and develop a deeper flavor. *When you taste it immediately after making, the sweetness from the sugar might be slightly pronounced, but after about a day, the flavors will meld beautifully, resulting in a kimchi similar to fresh ‘geotjeori’ (seasoned salad kimchi) that is absolutely delicious. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your preference.
Step 7
In the meantime, cut the washed chives into approximately 3-4 cm lengths, ready for mixing.
Step 8
Place the well-drained cabbage into a large bowl. Add all of the prepared seasoning paste and gently mix to ensure the seasoning coats the cabbage leaves and stems evenly. Finally, add the prepared chives and toasted sesame seeds, give it a light toss, and your delicious fresh kimchi is ready!
Step 9
If you taste the kimchi immediately, you might notice a slight pungency from the onion and a hint of bitterness from the radish. However, after letting it sit at room temperature for about an hour, the flavors will meld together, creating a wonderfully refreshing and savory kimchi. While it’s delicious right away, allowing it some time to rest will result in an even more profound taste!
