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Before attending the fermentation workshop I had never heard
of Kimchi, let alone tasted it. It is of Korean origin and is used as a side
dish, and a base for many recipes. I have since spotted it at my local Asian
Grocer, but after tasting a homemade version of it at the workshop, I am keen
to make my own...eventually. I did not have a photograph of the finished
product we made, but the above image looks just the same.
This is what you will need:
1 x wombok cabbage
1-2 onions, leeks or scallions
1-2 carrots, chopped
3-4 red hot chillies, finely chopped or you can use Korean Chilli powder (1 tablespoon)
Fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoons sour whey
Sea salt
Start by washing the wombok cabbage, and then cut it coarsely.
I would say each piece was roughly 3cm by 3cm as a guide.
Place the cabbage into a metal mixing bowl and then pound it with a rolling pin (end) until it gets a bit slack.
Add large chunks of onion, layers separated.
Add the salt (about a teaspoon) to approx half a litre of water in a small bucket.
Add the sour whey (can be from yoghurt) and chilli spices. Then add the chopped carrots and grated ginger.
Add the cabbage and onion to the liquid.
Then press down with your fists until the liquid covers the top of the cabbage. Place a plate on top with a weight on it to keep the vegetables submerged.
Keep on a bench for five days, and then pack the contents into jars in the fridge.
As you can image, the kimchi is quite spicy, but not overly so. I liked it as a side dish with our lunch, but I did prefer the Sauerkraut.
So, have you ever tried or made Korean Kimchi? I am tempted to buy some from the Asian grocer just to see what an authentic one tastes like.
