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Philly's Easy Kim Chi

Easy Kim Chi

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Servings: 4 Litres
Ingredients Method

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

Method
 

Sauce
  1. While napa is brining, prepare the sauce.
  2. Bring water to a boil and add rice flour (if available), cornstarch, or leftover rice.
  3. Simmer for about 5 minutes. If you need to start with fresh rice, cook until soft (about 20 minutes).
  4. Remove from heat. Blend until smooth if needed.
  5. Add sugar. Allow to cool.
Brining
  1. Coarsely chop and rinse the cabbage, put in the largest bowl or stock pot you have.
    Kimi Chi Ingredients
  2. Sprinkle salt on top and toss to distribute. Put a plate on top to weigh the cabbage down.
  3. Let napa sit for 2 hours in brine, turning every half hour or so.
Preparations
  1. Chop the additional vegetables and set aside.
  2. Prepare seasoning ingredients for sauce, add to sauce when it is cool to the touch.
  3. Blend sauce and seasonings until they are a smooth paste.
Assembly
  1. After two hours, rinse the cabbage and shake out as much excess water as possible.
  2. Toss in the additional vegetables, then pour in sauce and toss to coat evenly.
  3. Pack into a large, clean jar with something to weigh the kim chi down on top.
  4. Put the lid on (but don't tighten it) andlet the kimchi sit on the counter for about 3 days.
  5. Once a day, compress the kimchi so everything stays moist and air bubbles are released.
  6. After three days, give it a taste.
  7. If it is fermented enough for your palate, put it in the fridge. If not, give it another day or 2 on the counter.
  8. Enjoy! This will last for 4-6 weeks (by then it will be very tangy but still delicious).