My Easy, Less Sour, Less Salty Korean Kimchi Recipe

Finally, my own kimchi recipe that has such satisfying result that I just have to share with you! All ingredients are very basic and you don't need to go to any special Asian store to buy more just to make a small batch of kimchi. I've made kimchi so so many times I can't even count. I started with maangchi recipe but it was way too sour for my taste so I didn't make it again until I learnt another way of making kimchi from a few Korean youtubers. Since then, my recipe has been altererd from time to time - saltiness wasn't perfect, the crunch, the fermentation...

I've learnt that adding pears or apples insted of onions to the kimchi paste makes it so much sweeter and reduces that awkward pungent taste. I've also noticed that unlike those traditional Korean kimchi recipes that I learnt online, a lot of restaurants make their kimchi a bit differently, and I so wanted to copy that unique taste! Using fresh chili peppers along with Korean chili flakes makes the color a lot brighter and the result to be spicier. Maybe it's just the limited brands of Korean hot pepper flakes here in Saigon, I find these aren't spicy at all even if I add a lot to kimchi paste. I decided to add fresh hot red chili and the result was so superb! Ok, I seem to be rambling too much here. Let's dive right into the recipe and the making process!

Ingredients:

Salting process

• Around 2kg or 2 medium heaps of nappa cabbage

• 1/2 cup salt

• 1.5 cup water

Kimchi paste

• 1 medium apple or 1 small pear

• 5 cloves of garlic

• 1/2 tablespoon ginger

• 1/3 cup fish sauce

• 2/3 cup Korean hot pepper flakes

• About 6-7 medium long fresh Thai red chili, or 1/2 cup

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 small white radish (or about 1 cup)

• 1 small carrot (or about 1 cup)

• 10 stalks spring onions (or around 2 cups)

Instructions

• Cut nappa cabbage in four parts, lengthwise, then trim the bottom and cut into ~3.5-4cm long pieces

• Add them into a big bowl, start adding 1/2 cup salt gradually along with 1.5 cup water until all pieces are coated in salt.

• Toss them and gently massage every 30 minutes.

• Repeat this process until the volume reduces in half. I usually salt my cabbage for 2 hours.

• Rinse them well in clean water 3-4 times or until the water comes out clean. In the last cleanse, GENTLY squeeze the salted cabbage to help draw out excess moisture.

• Let it drain on the strainer for at least 20 minutes while moving along to make kimchi paste.

• Cut carrots, white radish and spring onions into ~ 4-5cm long, thin strips.

• (No need to peel) Cut apple or pear into small pieces and add into a food processor along with garlic, ginger and fresh red chili. Blend until everything is smooth.

• Transfer the mixture into a bowl, add 1/3 cup fish sauce + 2/3 cup Korean hot pepper fakes + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 tablespoon sugar and mix well until it becomes a thick paste.

• Add to the vegetable strips mixture and mix gently until everything is just well combined.

• Divide the nappa cabbage and kimchi paste into about 2-3 parts. Add in each part of cabbage + kimchi paste and start mixing gently with your hand (wear gloves to avoid burning sensation later). Just when everything looks combined, add in another part and repeat the process until everything is well mixed together.

• Transfer to a BIG container if you wish, press gently to remove any excess air between the pieces, cover with the lid. (I leave mine in a big pot, cover with plastic wrap, let it ferment overnight and transfer to small containers the next day because I don't have big containers, and leaving it ferment in small containers will normally make it "explode" with too much gas, you'll end up with a messy kitchen counter next morning)

• Let if ferment for 12-24 hours depending on how sour you'd like your kimchi to be and how hot your weather is. I live in Saigon where it's very humid and hot, so around 12-13 hours fermentation is perfect for me for a mild-sour kimchi.