4 Simple Ways to Make Korean Kimchi at Home

1. Napa Cabbage Kimchi

Ingredients:

• 2 large napa cabbages, each weighing about 3kg
• 2 carrots
• 1 medium-sized onion
• 1 large daikon radish
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1 piece of ginger
• A handful of green onions (can be substituted with chives)
• 100g glutinous rice flour
• 1.5 liters of filtered water
• 100g sugar
• 150ml fish sauce
• 250g coarse salt
• 150g Korean chili powder (adjust to taste)

How to make napa cabbage kimchi:

1. Peel and wash the daikon radish, carrots, onion, and green onions. Dice the onion and grind it with garlic and ginger. Cut the green onions into 3cm pieces. Julienne the daikon radish and carrots into bite-sized strips.
2. Rinse and remove the core of the napa cabbage, then cut it in half or quarters as desired. Dip the napa cabbage in water before sprinkling salt over the white parts to soften them without breaking. Note: Do not sprinkle salt over the green leafy parts as they will spoil easily during fermentation.
3. Rinse the napa cabbage under water about 2 - 3 times to reduce saltiness, then drain.
4. While waiting for the napa cabbage to drain, prepare the kimchi sauce. To make the sauce, heat a mixture of 1 liter of water and glutinous rice flour. Stir well to prevent burning. When the mixture starts to boil, add sugar and continue stirring until fully boiled. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
5. Once the mixture has cooled, add Korean chili powder and stir for about 20 minutes, then add the prepared ginger, garlic, and onion. Add fish sauce and mix well.
6. Add green onions, carrots, and daikon radish to the kimchi sauce. Coat the mixture evenly over the white parts of the napa cabbage. Note: Ensure even coating for the napa cabbage to absorb the rich sauce.
7. Finally, place the kimchi in plastic or glass containers for storage. Let the kimchi ferment at room temperature for about 2 days before refrigerating to achieve the desired level of sourness.

2. Radish Kimchi

Ingredients:

• Large daikon radish (2-3kg)
• Green onions cut into 3cm pieces
• 50g salt
• 5g glutinous rice flour
• 100g Korean chili powder (adjust to taste)
• 3-4 finely chopped shrimp
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce

How to Make Radish Kimchi:

1. Peel, wash, and cut the daikon radish into bite-sized pieces.
2. Sprinkle salt over the prepared daikon radish and mix well by hand - let it sit for about 40 minutes.
3. While waiting, cook 5g of glutinous rice flour with a little water to make about 3 tablespoons of sticky flour. Mix this flour with the remaining ingredients (except for the daikon radish and green onions).
4. After 40 minutes, the initial daikon radish will release water. Drain off the excess salty water to avoid overly salty kimchi. Note: Do not rinse the daikon radish again.
5. Place the daikon radish in a large bowl and pour the prepared seasoning mixture along with the green onions. Mix thoroughly by hand to allow the kimchi to absorb the flavors.
6. Similar to napa cabbage kimchi, store the radish kimchi in an airtight container (plastic or glass). Let the radish kimchi ferment for about 2 days at room temperature before refrigerating for gradual consumption.

3. Cucumber Kimchi

Ingredients:

• Good-quality cucumbers: 1kg
• Salt: 1 tablespoon
• Some chives
• 1/4 onion
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 3 teaspoons Korean chili powder (adjust to taste)

How to Make Cucumber Kimchi:

1. Thinly slice onions. Cut chives into 3cm sections.
2. Soak cucumbers in clean water for about 10 minutes, then remove and pat dry. Cut cucumbers into 8 pieces each.
3. Sprinkle salt over cucumbers, mix well, and let sit for 30 minutes; then drain off excess salt water without rinsing.
4. Place cucumbers in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with all the prepared seasonings. For cucumber kimchi, you only need to wait 3-4 hours or overnight to enjoy. Convenient and delicious, why hesitate to showcase your culinary skills?

4. Spoon Mustard Kimchi

Ingredients:

• 500g mustard greens
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs green onions, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 20g salt
• 30g Korean chili powder (adjust to taste, add more for spiciness)
• 15ml fish sauce
• 5g sesame oil
• 10g sugar
• Some minced ginger
• Some minced garlic
• 2.5g sesame seeds

1. Remove the base and old leaves from the mustard greens, wash thoroughly, and drain. Sprinkle salt over each leaf to marinate for about 30 minutes until soft.
2. Mix all the seasonings in a large bowl.
3. Rinse the mustard greens and drain. Then, mix the mustard greens, onions, green onions, and seasonings together. Mix well to enhance the flavor of the kimchi. At this stage, you can adjust the seasoning to your taste.
4. The best time to enjoy Spoon Mustard Kimchi is after fermenting for 1 or 2 days. If left for more than 2 weeks, the kimchi may become too sour, so #teamKlook recommends making kimchi in moderate quantities only.