With a complex flavour and a variety of uses, kimchi is made from fremented vegetables with ginger, garlic, chilli powder, sugar and fish sauce. Kimchi ticks all the sweet, sour, and spicy notes. Kimchi works as a condiment in salads, sandwiches, rice bowls or served as a side dish.
Kimchi Recipe
Makes 2 litres
Ingredients:
1 wombok (Chinese cabbage), thickly sliced
½ cup sea salt flakes
1 daikon (white radish), peeled, cut into matchsticks
2 carrots, peeled, cut into matchsticks
4 spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally
5cm piece ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks
6 garlic cloves, crushed
3-4 tbsp Korean chilli powder
¼ cup fish sauce
1 tsp caster sugar
Method:
Place wombok in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Sprinkle with salt, toss to combine. Add enough cold water to cover. Place a plate over wombok to weigh it down. Set aside to soak for 12 hours or overnight.
Drain wombok, rinse under cold running water. Drain well.
Combine wombok, daikon, carrot, spring onion, ginger and garlic in a large bowl. Add chilli powder, fish sauce and sugar. Wearing rubber gloves, toss well to thoroughly combine.
Transfer mixture to a large 2 litre-capacity (8 cup) sterilised jar. Use your hands to pack mixture down tightly so any liquid covers the top. Seal tightly and set aside at room temperature for 1-5 days. Occasionally release any fermenting gases and press down mixture with the back of a spoon to release any bubbles.
After 1-5 days of fermentation, transfer to the fridge. Use kimchi as required.
Smart Tip:
Korean chilli powder, or gochugaru, is available from Asian grocery stores.
