KimKraut is a portmanteau that I just made up in my quest to make Kimchi combined with my knowledge of making sauerkraut. There are very many ways to make Kimchi but the main idea is mixing cabbage with a flavourful paste and letting it ferment at room temperature for a few days and then putting it in the fridge and keep using as it gets even more flavourful. This is my recipe which is simply a marriage between the two. SAM_6516

The Koreans eat Kimchi with every meal in the day, they even say “Kimchiiiii” when they want to smile for the camera, the Americans say cheese, which is not that healthy and you can tell the difference in body size and health issues.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups roughly chopped cabbage (if you can get Chinese or Napa cabbage that would be nice but we have amazing local cabbage)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sea or Himalayan salt
  • 2 small cloves of garlic
  • 1 inch squared piece of fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon chopped spring onions
  • 1 tablespoon chopped dania/coriande
  • 3 or 4 drops of fish sauce (it is very strong so use gently) – optional
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika for the red colour because it is quite hard to get the authentic Korean ingredients that give Kimchi the signature red colour. It will still taste great.
  1. Mix the chopped cabbage and onions with the salt and massage the cabbage until it starts to release the moisture. Add a little bit of water to cover the cabbage and leave it for about 2 hours.

  2. Make the paste with the rest of the ingredients, in blender, food processor or mortar and pestle. Mix the paste with the cabbage, making sure the liquid covers all of the cabbage, cover and leave in a room-temperature dark place, like in a cupboard, for about 3 days. After the 3 days, you can keep it in the fridge where it will ferment slower but in a more manageable way.