Kimchi
Did you know that Kimchi is considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet? With its balanced sour, salty, and spicy flavour Kimchi can be used in everything from soups, Japanese pancakes, topping on pizza and burgers, added to scrambled eggs, baked potato topping. Or simply as a side on its own, added to rice or paired with a stir fry. In short, Kimchi is a Korean delicacy made from fermented cabbage, spices and seasonings, and actually is the national dish of Korea. Health benefits reported from Kimchi include improved cardiovascular health and a improved digestive system. So why not try some Kimchi? Not only is it good for you but it tastes great too.
Ingredients
- 1 head napa cabbage (Chinese lettuce)
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- Filtered water
- 1 tablespoon garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons gochugaru*
- 4 spring onions/scallions
* Gochugaru is a Korean red chili pepper that is dried and ground into a coarse powder. Gochugaru can be purchased from many Asian supermarkets. Aleppo pepper, chile de arbol can be substituted if needed.
Method
- Slice the cabbage lengthwise and remove the core.
- Cut each quarter again into bite size strips.
- Place the cabbage and salt in a large bowl rub the salt into the cabbage until it is combined well.
- Fill the bowl with filtered water to cover cabbage using a small plate to keep the cabbage under the water. A tin-can also work well as a weight on top of your plate.
- Leave for 2 hours.
- Drain and rinse cabbage.
- In a small bowl combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, and fish sauce. Mix to form a smooth paste. Add the gochugaru and set aside to allow flavours to combine.
- Slice your spring onions/scallions into thin strips.
- Remove any remaining water from your cabbage.
- Place cabbage and spring onions/scallions into a large bowl and pour over paste.
- Using your hands (I recommend wearing latex gloves at this stage), rub paste into the vegetables until they are thoroughly coated.
- Transfer the Kimchi into an air tight container being sure to push it down so cabbage is packed tightly.
- Let it ferment at room temperature for 1-5 days, check on the kimchi everyday and press down as needed.
- After the the 5th day place your kimchi in the fridge where it will keep for 3 to 4 weeks.
