Who's a Koreanovela fan here? Raise your hands up. (Raising my hand up). Well, then this recipe I have today is a staple food in some of the koreanovelas we have watched. So, then you know what I am talking about? Oh yes you are right!
Whenever we hear the word "kimchi" automatically what we think is Fermented Spicy Cabbage. Actually, there are many different kinds of Kimchi. 200 different varieties of Kimchi and they all have their unique zangy twist in regards to the flavor. Some examples are Radish, Cucumber, Rice cake, Green Onions/Onion leeks, Indian Mustard leaves, Eggplant, Gourd, Seafood and more.
My first Kimchi experience was 6 years ago, I didn't like the taste. Upon researching, I found that the best Kimchi should be crunchy and not mushy (which was the reason why I didn't like my first Kimchi experience because the veggies was mushy and I did not like the taste of it). Then in 2012 I found this vlogger Maangchi. There, I saw some Korean recipes. One time I found out I had bought, unknowingly, 2 cabbages. I didn't know what to do with the other one sitting inside my fridge. I then remembered a recipe from Maangchi. I tried it out and guess what? I LOVED it so much that the next week I bought more cabbages and made Kimchi out of it.
Making Kimchi is easy, but fermenting it is like torture to me hahaha. This recipe is called the Emergency Kimchi. Why emergency? Emergency, because when you are craving for Kimchi this is the easiest and fastest way to make and enjoy it. Ok then let us start with gathering your ingredients.
The things you will need are: 2 big bowls (1 for soaking the cabbage and 1 for mixing the Kimchi paste), Colander to drain the cabbage, empty plastic containers, bottles or jars with cover for storing them up, and a spoon or you can use your hands just wear a plastic gloves for sanitary purpose.
The ingredients you will need are:
1 head of cabbage medium size
¼ cup salt
1 cup water
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 stalks onion leeks, chopped
6-8 Tbsp Chili powder
5-6 Tbsp Fish sauce
1 Tbsp Sugar
Okay, then when you have gathered all your ingredients the first thing to do is chop the cabbage into ¼ inch size strips. Mine was a small size cabbage and I chopped it a bit larger in size so I could munch it more.
Next Add in the salt and water to the cabbage. Toss and mix it using your hands to properly salt the cabbage then set it aside for 10 mins.
While waiting for that cabbage let's make the Kimchi paste. In another bowl combine chili powder, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic and onion, chopped green onions/onion leeks, and julienned carrots. Set it aside then we'll go back to the cabbage.
Wash and rinse the cabbage a couple of times and drain it well using colander. When the water has drained mix it into the kimchi paste. Be sure to coat all of the cabbage. After mixing well, put the kimchi into a plastic container or jar. Press the top of the kimchi using your hand or a spoon so it wouldn't be exposed to too much air. Cover the jar and you're done. See how easy it is.
You can eat it right away after making it. Or you can ferment it in room temperature for a few days. Be sure to check it as the best Kimchi are those that are crunchy and not mushy so after few days of fermenting place it inside the fridge to retain its crunchiness.
Look! I was able to make 2 jars and a container using a small head of a cabbage. I gave away a jar to my brother who was so glad when he received it. The other jar, for me and my husband. And the small container? My husband brought it to his work place and shared it with his office mates.
After making this I could not resist tasting it haha but I left it for 2 days in room temperature to ferment it then place it in my fridge. This I made last Tuesday and half of this bottle you see above is what its left now, Friday, because I could not resist myself hahaha..
What I like most is mixing kimchi and hot rice. I also make Kimchi fried rice if I have extra rice from the other day. My husband liked it with Nilaga (Pork or Beef Stew) or Beef Bulalo (Beef shank soup). My brother, he put kimchi in a slice of bread and eat it as a sandwich. One time I tried putting Kimchi in my ramen, it was spicy and good. I'll try adding it to burger and using kimchi instead of lettuce for a change. There are many recipes that can include kimchi it's all up to your choice.
Have you tried one already? Comment down your Kimchi experience or a recipe which includes kimchi in it.
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