Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi

Since I got back from Korea honeymoon, I was craving for kimchi ramen. Finally, I got to do this during the weekend. 

Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi 

Maangchi's Recipe

For salting cabbage:

• 2 medium sized Chinese long cabbages (I forgot to measure)
• 1/4 cup Kosher salt (I used Himalayan pink sea salt)

For making porridge:

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour)
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (brown or white sugar)

Vegetables:

• 1 cup Daikon radish matchsticks
• 1/2 cup carrot matchsticks
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup chopped Asian chives (buchu), optional (substitute with 3 green onions, chopped)

Seasonings and spices:

• 1/4 cup garlic cloves (12 garlic cloves), minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1 cup hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)

RESULT:

A little salty because I think I used 1/2 cup of salt to salt the cabbage. Also, I left them soaking for more than 2 hours.. I think I let mine soaked for at least 4-5 hours long. 

• Use the salt as required in the recipe
• Rinse at least 3 times

STEPS:

1. Quick wash the cabbages. 
2. Slit each cabbage into 1/4. 
3. Salt the cabbages.
4. Leave the cabbages to be soaked in salt for 2 hours. Turn over every 30 minutes. 
5. Remove the cabbages and rinse with clean water for at least 3 times.
6. Slit each cabbage into 1/2 or 1/3 (I think it'll make a good 1 serving = 1 cup size).
7. Prepare the vegetables and put aside.
8. Cook the porridge. Leave it to cool.
9. Add the seasonings and spices into the porridge. Then, add in the chopped vegetables. 
10. Marinate each cabbage leaf, put more at the end of the stalk where it's thicker. 1 tablespoon of sauce for 1 cabbage. 
11. Put in a container and push down the marinated cabbages to avoid air bubbles. 
12. Leave on the counter (I put on the kitchen's table for 24 hours. I think it's not that sour, maybe it can go up to 36 hours before refrigerating.
13. Serve best when cold in my opinion. 

MAANGCHI'S VERSION:

Ingredients

Makes about 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of Kimchi
For salting cabbage:

• 6 pounds napa cabbage (3 to 4 heads of medium napa cabbage)
• ½ cup Kosher salt

For making porridge:

• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour)
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (brown or white sugar)

Vegetables:

• 2 cups radish matchsticks
• 1 cup carrot matchsticks
• 7 to 8 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup chopped Asian chives (buchu), optional (substitute with 3 green onions, chopped)
• 1 cup water dropwort (minari), optional

Seasonings and spices:

• ½ cup garlic cloves (24 garlic cloves), minced
• 2 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 medium onion, minced
• ½ cup fish sauce
• ¼ cup fermented salted shrimp (saeujeot) with the salty brine, chopped
• 2 cups hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)

"The cabbages are sweating", said Maangchi. 

Haha.. 

I didn't add water. The cabbages release water due to the salting process. 

Before marinating, I did remove the black-brown thing at the end.

Cooked the porridge and got the vegetables chopped ready.

I managed to get this 1KG hot pepper flakes at RM50 COD

I bought it from: https://www.facebook.com/homemadekimchihalal/ 

I'm not sure if it's a good price or not.. but well, at least it solved my craving issue.

Another person who did this exact recipe pointed out some ingredients that can be found in Malaysia:

• water dropwort (minari), is called Daun Selom (in Malay language)
•  fermented salted shrimp (saeujeot), this is called cencaluk (malay) 

Porridge with the seasonings and spices added in.

Add in the vegetables.

By using 2 medium sized cabbages, I got 2 1/2 tupperwares filled with kimchi.

Yummmmy