Recipe and photos by Philly Markowitz
This is a non-traditional recipe for those who don’t have easy access to dried shrimp or don’t want to use it. It makes about 3.5 litres –
if you have a glass gallon jar it will be the perfect size to hold the batch.
As the recipe makes a gallon, it’s great for hostess gifts and parties. Or, you can change the number of servings on the selector below, and the site will automatically divide the recipe for you.
Servings: 4 Litres
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 6 Lbs Napa Lettuce (Chinese Cabbage) roughly 4 heads, chopped into 1 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 Cup Kosher salt
- 2 Cups Daikon Radish Slices or mixed daikon and red radish
- 1 Cup Carrot Matchsticks
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Hot Peppers jalapeño or Hungarian - slightly hot) sliced fine
- 1 Bunch Fresh Green Onion chopped
Sauce
- 1 1/2 Cups Boiling Water
- 2 Tbsp Sweet Rice Flour aka glutinous rice flour OR 2 tbsp cooked rice OR 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
Seasonings and Spices
- 1/3 Cup Garlic Cloves Minced or pressed
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger Root Minced or shredded
- 1 Medium Onion Minced
- 1/3 Cup Fish Sauce (Ngoc Nam), or more to taste
- 1/2 Cup Paprika
- 1/4 Cup Cayenne
Instructions
Sauce
- While napa is brining, prepare the sauce.
- Bring water to a boil and add rice flour (if available), cornstarch, or leftover rice.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes. If you need to start with fresh rice, cook until soft (about 20 minutes).
- Remove from heat. Blend until smooth if needed.
- Add sugar. Allow to cool.
Brining
- Coarsely chop and rinse the cabbage, put in the largest bowl or stock pot you have.
- Sprinkle salt on top and toss to distribute. Put a plate on top to weigh the cabbage down.
- Let napa sit for 2 hours in brine, turning every half hour or so.
Preparations
- Chop the additional vegetables and set aside.
- Prepare seasoning ingredients for sauce, add to sauce when it is cool to the touch.
- Blend sauce and seasonings until they are a smooth paste.
Assembly
- After two hours, rinse the cabbage and shake out as much excess water as possible.
- Toss in the additional vegetables, then pour in sauce and toss to coat evenly.
- Pack into a large, clean jar with something to weigh the kim chi down on top.
- Put the lid on (but don't tighten it) andlet the kimchi sit on the counter for about 3 days.
- Once a day, compress the kimchi so everything stays moist and air bubbles are released.
- After three days, give it a taste.
- If it is fermented enough for your palate, put it in the fridge. If not, give it another day or 2 on the counter.
- Enjoy! This will last for 4-6 weeks (by then it will be very tangy but still delicious).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!