Ingredients
For the Cabbage
- 2 large napa cabbages
- 1/2 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Kimchi Paste
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour
- 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons saeujeot (fermented salted shrimp)
- 1 to 2 cups gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes), depending on desired spiciness
- 2 carrots, julienned
- 1 large daikon radish, julienned
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 16 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1-inch piece of ginger, minced
- 1 white onion, minced
First, Salt the Cabbage
This first step is critical for drawing out moisture and seasoning the cabbage so it becomes pliable.
Cut a short slit at the base of each cabbage, then gently pull the halves apart. Repeat to make quarters, keeping the leaves attached at the core.
Rinse the cabbage quarters and, while they’re still wet, sprinkle the salt generously between each individual leaf. Place the salted quarters in a very large bowl or food-safe container. Let them sit for ~3-4 hours, flipping them every hour to ensure they salt evenly. The cabbage is ready when the thick, white parts are limp and can bend easily without snapping.
Once ready, rinse the quarters thoroughly under cold water 2-3 times to remove the excess salt. Gently squeeze out any remaining water and set them aside to drain.
Next, Make the Kimchi Paste
While the cabbage is salting, make the rice slurry. This slurry is the binder that helps the gochugaru and other seasonings adhere to the cabbage.
In a small pot, combine the water, glutinous rice flour, and brown sugar. Simmer over low heat for ~5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it forms a thin, translucent paste. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
Once the slurry is cool, transfer it to a large bowl. Add the minced garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce, saeujeot, and gochugaru. Mix well until it becomes a thick, uniform paste.
Finally, add the julienned radish, carrot, and chopped spring onions to the paste. Mix until all the vegetables are thoroughly coated.
Finally, Coat the Cabbage and Ferment
This part is messy; I highly recommend wearing gloves to avoid staining your hands with the chili paste.
Take one quarter of the rinsed and drained cabbage. Starting from the outer leaves, spread a layer of the kimchi paste on each leaf, making sure to get it in between all the layers. Be thorough but don’t overdo it; you just need a sufficient coating.
Once coated, fold the cabbage quarter in half lengthwise and place it snugly into a large, airtight container or fermentation crock. Repeat with the remaining cabbage quarters, packing them tightly into the container.
Leave the container at room temperature for one to two days to kickstart the fermentation. You might see some bubbles and the kimchi will start to develop a sour, funky aroma; this is exactly what you want. After the initial room-temperature ferment, move the container to the refrigerator. The kimchi is ready to eat now, but its flavor will continue to develop and deepen over the next week or two.
Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Tongbaechu-Kimchi)
Ingredients
For the Cabbage
- 2 large napa cabbages
- 1/2 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Kimchi Paste
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour
- 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons saeujeot fermented salted shrimp
- 1 to 2 cups gochugaru Korean hot pepper flakes, depending on desired spiciness
- 2 carrots julienned
- 1 large daikon radish julienned
- 4 spring onions chopped
- 16 cloves garlic minced
- 1-inch piece of ginger minced
- 1 white onion minced
Instructions
- Quarter napa cabbages lengthwise, keeping leaves attached at core.
- Salt between cabbage leaves and let sit 3-4 hours, flipping hourly.
- Rinse cabbage thoroughly and drain.
- Make rice slurry: simmer water, rice flour, and brown sugar until translucent. Cool completely.
- Mix cooled slurry with garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce, saeujeot, and gochugaru.
- Add julienned radish, carrot, and spring onions to paste mixture.
- Wearing gloves, spread paste between each cabbage leaf.
- Fold cabbage quarters lengthwise and pack tightly into airtight container.
- Ferment at room temperature 1-2 days until bubbling begins.
- Transfer to refrigerator.
