Ok peeps, I love Korean food, especially kimchi, but the store-bought stuff can be pricey. I've made sauerkraut before, using my leftover cabbage, but I'm not a big kraut fan. So I decided I'd twist my kraut recipe a bit and make kimchi. My recipe uses ingredients we can easily find here in Malaysia, and to me it tastes just as good. Here goes....
Adline's (Malaysianised) Homemade Kimchi Recipe
Serving: One jar
Ingredients
Cabbage - washed and chopped (For this jar, I used about a quarter of a head)
Half a carrot - Chopped into matchsticks (It should really be daikon, but I don't have any on hand)
1 stalk green onion - Chopped to 1 inch lengths
3 cloves garlic - Sliced
2 red chillies (You can use more for extra heart. It's supposed to be Korean chilli powder, but I substituted)
1 tablespoon of dried shrimp, washed and soaked
Salt - about 3 tablespoons (It's a lot, but don't worry as it will turn into lactic acid)
Method
1. Blend together red chillies and dried shrimp (do not add water)
2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well
3. Sterilise your jar and stuff everything inside (Really pack everything in. You might have to start with a larger jar, and then after the cabbage has softened, you can transfer to a smaller jar)
4. Leave the jar on your kitchen counter for 2-3 days (Malaysia is hot and humid, especially in the kitchen, so the fermentation occurs quite fast). After that, taste it to determine how fermented you want it to be.
5. Once happy with the state of fermentation, you can keep the jar in the fridge.
Note: You can Google how others do it too, some people use special jars that will let the CO2 out, and prevent bacteria from getting in. I find that fermenting for 2-3 days in small batches doesn't usually cause much gas build up, so I don't leave my jar lid slightly ajar etc. But if you like, you can place a clean cloth over the mouth of the jar and tie a rubber band around it to allow the fermented cabbage to breathe.
Happy fermenting!
