Easy Kimchi Recipe for Beginners

Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish, most commonly made with napa cabbage and daikon radish. It’s known for its tangy, spicy, and umami-packed flavor, making it a staple in Korean cuisine and popular worldwide. I may not be Korean but I would say, kimchi is relatively easy to make at home with a few basic ingredients and some patience for fermentation.

Key Pantry staple Ingredients:

• Salt: Used to draw out moisture and begin the preservation process.
• Gochugaru (Korean Red Pepper Flakes): The key spice that gives kimchi its distinctive red color and heat.
• Garlic & Ginger: Essential for depth of flavor.
• Fish Sauce or Shrimp Paste: Adds umami (can be substituted for a vegetarian version).
• Vegetables: Daikon radish, carrots, and scallions are common additions.

How easy is it to make kimchi?

Making kimchi is a simple process that involves salting the cabbage, preparing the seasoning paste, and combining everything before allowing it to ferment.

1. Salting the Cabbage: The cabbage is cut and salted to remove excess moisture, which helps with preservation and texture. This takes a few hours but requires little attention.
2. Making the Paste: A mixture of gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce is combined to coat the cabbage. This step is quick and easy.
3. Fermentation: After the cabbage is coated in the spice paste, it’s packed into jars and left to ferment at room temperature for 1-2 days, depending on how strong you want the flavor. Once fermented, it’s stored in the fridge and can last for months.

What if I don’t have rice flour?

Rice flour is not strictly necessary for making kimchi, but it is often used to help create a thick paste that better coats the cabbage and other vegetables. in this recipe, we used glutinous rice flour, mixed with water and cooked into a porridge, then combined with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce to create the paste.

If you don’t have rice flour, you can still make kimchi without it. I actually used to make kimchi without the porridge and prefer it! The rice porridge mainly helps with texture and binding, but it’s not essential for fermentation or flavor. You can simply mix the seasoning paste ingredients directly and apply them to the cabbage.

Kimchi tips for Beginners:

• Adjust the spice level: If you’re new to making kimchi, you can start with less gochugaru and gradually increase the heat. This recipe says 4 tablespoons of gochugaru, and it is just above the mild range for me personally.
• Fermentation time: The longer you let it ferment, the tangier and more complex the flavors become.
• Vegetarian options: Simply omit the fish sauce or shrimp paste for a vegan version; soy sauce can be a good alternative or vegan fish sauce!

Kimchi is an easy, rewarding process for home cooks, and it only gets better with time. Plus, it can be used as a condiment, in soups, fried rice, or even grilled cheese for a unique twist! It’s a condiment I always like to have in the fridge because it’s versatile and pairs well with many dishes. Kimchi is also good for the gut so any opportunity to boost my health, I will take it!

---

Ingredients:

• 1/4 sugar
• 0.5 litre water
• 1/2 salt (this is an estimate, it depends how much cabbage you have)
• 1 tblsp of ginger
• 1/2 cup of glutinous rice flour and water
• 4 tblsp gochugaru
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 2 white onions, quartered
• 8-10 whole garlic cloves
• 1 medium sized cabbage

Steps:

Preparing the cabbage:

1. Cut lengthways into quarters, remove the core and cut into bite sized pieces.
2. Generously salt and add water to the cabbage and let it sit for 1-1.5 hours.
3. Rinse thoroughly under cold water a couple of times, drain and set aside.

Make the porridge:

1. Add glutinous rice flour and water to a pot, bring to a boil and keep stirring. Cook until translucent and thick, add sugar.
2. Set aside.

Kimchi mixture:

1. Blitz your onion, ginger and garlic with a stick blender or food processor until it becomes a paste.
2. Add to porridge, along with gochugaru, fish sauce, carrots and spring onions. Mix until combined and give it a taste again! should be a good balance of saltiness.

Making the kimchi:

1. Combine the mixture and cabbage together. I would recommend wearing gloves and ensure every piece is well coated.
2. Place into a sterilised jar and keep it at room temperature for 1-2 days. Open the lid up to release any air pressure and close before popping into the fridge!