The properties of fermented foods are extraordinary.
A few years ago I fell in love with Kimchi and a month ago I finally tried to do it at home.
Here is the recipe that I followed, with some variations compared to the one I had found, even if there are variations of how many families that prepare it because, like any historically rooted food, every person who makes it holds, somehow , the real recipe.
In this case I did not put the Daikon, because I was unable to find it organic and I increased the amount of carrots, compared to the indications from which I had left.
It is a simple recipe to make, which requires at least two and a half days to be made, but which can then be stored for a few months (about 3) in the refrigerator.
Ingredients for 1.5 kg of Kimchi made:
1 tuft of Chinese cabbage of about 800/900 grams
5 carrots
2 red onions
8/10 garlic cloves
100 grams of fresh ginger root
100 gr of rice flour
1 kg of coarse salt
50 g of chilli powder
4/5 fresh red chillies
For storage:
glass jars with a cap.
First day:
Wash the Chinese cabbage and cut it into three pieces according to the length. Put it in a large container, pouring over it a part of the coarse salt. Massage the individual leaves with salt to facilitate penetration, then cover the leaves with the remaining salt.
Bring about two liters of water to a boil and pour it on the Chinese cabbage until it is covered. The exact amount of water depends on the type of container, so it could also serve more than two liters.
Let it sit for 24 hours.
Second day:
The next day rinse the Chinese cabbage from the brine (keeping aside the water and salt) and place it on a clean, well-laid out cloth so that it dries.
Meanwhile, cut the onions and carrots into strips. Blend (or manually grind and then crush with a mortar) the ginger, garlic, fresh peppers and chilli powder, until a smooth paste is obtained.
In a saucepan put the rice flour, turn on the heat and add 500 ml of water gradually, making it absorb a little at a time until you get a soft and velvety cream. Cook for 7 minutes, then switch off and allow to cool.
Wear kitchen gloves to protect your hands from chilli.
Combine the Chinese cup with ginger, garlic and chilli paste and rice cream, 'till all the ingredients are perfectly mixed.
Put in pots and stoppers in a large pot, fill it with water to cover the pots completely. Bring to a boil and boil for 40 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to cool. In this way a domestic sterilization of the vessels is carried out.
Remove the pots from the water, let them dry in the air or with disposable paper. When dry, fill them with the Kimchi, close the jars and refrigerate.
After 48 h open all the jars and vent (fermenting generates some gas). Repeat the operation after another 48 hours.
From the fifth day you can eat the Kimchi, accompanied by white rice or soup, as suggested by the Korean cuisine, or as your imagination suggests.
A few years ago I fell in love with Kimchi and a month ago I finally tried to do it at home.
Here is the recipe that I followed, with some variations compared to the one I had found, even if there are variations of how many families that prepare it because, like any historically rooted food, every person who makes it holds, somehow , the real recipe.
In this case I did not put the Daikon, because I was unable to find it organic and I increased the amount of carrots, compared to the indications from which I had left.
It is a simple recipe to make, which requires at least two and a half days to be made, but which can then be stored for a few months (about 3) in the refrigerator.
Ingredients for 1.5 kg of Kimchi made:
1 tuft of Chinese cabbage of about 800/900 grams
5 carrots
2 red onions
8/10 garlic cloves
100 grams of fresh ginger root
100 gr of rice flour
1 kg of coarse salt
50 g of chilli powder
4/5 fresh red chillies
For storage:
glass jars with a cap.
First day:
Wash the Chinese cabbage and cut it into three pieces according to the length. Put it in a large container, pouring over it a part of the coarse salt. Massage the individual leaves with salt to facilitate penetration, then cover the leaves with the remaining salt.
Bring about two liters of water to a boil and pour it on the Chinese cabbage until it is covered. The exact amount of water depends on the type of container, so it could also serve more than two liters.
Let it sit for 24 hours.
Second day:
The next day rinse the Chinese cabbage from the brine (keeping aside the water and salt) and place it on a clean, well-laid out cloth so that it dries.
Meanwhile, cut the onions and carrots into strips. Blend (or manually grind and then crush with a mortar) the ginger, garlic, fresh peppers and chilli powder, until a smooth paste is obtained.
In a saucepan put the rice flour, turn on the heat and add 500 ml of water gradually, making it absorb a little at a time until you get a soft and velvety cream. Cook for 7 minutes, then switch off and allow to cool.
Wear kitchen gloves to protect your hands from chilli.
Combine the Chinese cup with ginger, garlic and chilli paste and rice cream, 'till all the ingredients are perfectly mixed.
Put in pots and stoppers in a large pot, fill it with water to cover the pots completely. Bring to a boil and boil for 40 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to cool. In this way a domestic sterilization of the vessels is carried out.
Remove the pots from the water, let them dry in the air or with disposable paper. When dry, fill them with the Kimchi, close the jars and refrigerate.
After 48 h open all the jars and vent (fermenting generates some gas). Repeat the operation after another 48 hours.
From the fifth day you can eat the Kimchi, accompanied by white rice or soup, as suggested by the Korean cuisine, or as your imagination suggests.
