How to Make Kimchi At Home

If you’ve ever dined at a Korean restaurant, you would’ve definitely tasted Kimchi. The vibrant vermillion-coloured veggie appetizer that’s pretty much par-per-course, and embodies the quintessential Korean flavour – savoury, umami spiciness with a tangy touch. Bracing on the first bite, and gets tastier as you eat. It’s also considered a superfood packed with fibre and various nutrients, good for your gut health as well.

You don’t have to be a master chef to make Kimchi. In fact, it’s a household dish among Koreans. And, because it’s basically a pickle, you can store Kimchi in your fridge for up to 3 months, with no need to heat it up to eat, as the dish is savoured lukewarm or cold. Kimchi is also the flavour-maker for a plethora of authentic Korean dishes – check out our recipes collection!

So, without further ado, let’s make some Kimchi!

Step 1

Prep the ingredients: napa cabbage, Korean radish, green onions, rice flour, gochugaru chilli powder, cloves garlic, ginger, onion, salted shrimp, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and water. Just one cabbage is a lot. And, don’t worry too much about getting the exact portions for the ingredients – just eyeballing for an approximation is enough. You can also adjust the flavouring ingredients to your taste. To make vegan Kimchi, replace the salted shrimp and fish sauce with this kelp and shiitake mushroom stock. However, do keep in mind that vegan Kimchi can only last about 3-4 weeks when stored in your fridge.

Step 2

Cut the cabbage into 8 parts, then chop into 4 sections, which also loosen the leaves.

Step 3

Put the chopped cabbage in a bowl, add salt and water, and let it sit for at least 3 hours until the leaves are well-soaked. To check if it’s ready, just feel the pieces with your hand. They should have a softened texture that bends easily.

Step 4

Drain the salt water, and rinse the cabbage thrice.

Step 5

Add 1 ½ tablespoon salt to the Korean radish and let it sit for 15 mins, then drain and set aside.

Step 6

Cook the rice flour with water. Keep stirring until it comes to a boil, and the flour turns into a thick paste. Off the heat, and transfer the paste into a bowl to let cool.

Step 7

Mix gochugaru chilli powder with the rice paste, and set aside

Step 8

Blend the sliced garlic, ginger, onion, salted shrimp, and fish sauce in your blender.

Step 9

Wear a pair of gloves. Put in the radish with the cabbage, and add the gochugaru rice paste mix.

Step 10

Add in the garlic-ginger blend.

Step 11

Toss and blend it all together into a rich vermillion-coloured mix.

Step 12

Garnish with sliced green onions and mix it further.

Step 13

Put the mix into clean, sealable glass jars. Pack it tight to near full, and let it ferment for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Then store it in your fridge. Voila, you now have Kimchi to savour whenever you like!