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Spicy and spicy Korean vegetables and dressings literally burst into European countries and still continue their victorious march. Spicy lovers do not deny themselves their favorite delicacy, which, in addition to taste pleasure, is good for the general condition of the body. In our article, you will learn how to make the popular Chinese cabbage kimchi.
Briefly about the dish
Kimchi can be served as an independent dish, for example, as a side dish for meat or fish, or it can be the main component. Kimchi is a common name for pickled vegetables, but kimchi usually refers to Chinese cabbage that has been pickled in a certain way.
An appetizer prepared from other vegetables contains in the name an indication of the vegetable from which it is prepared. Pickled vegetables for kimchi are prepared by lacto-fermentation, similar to our usual sauerkraut and pickles. A strong specific smell and unusual taste can scare off at first. However, in the process of tasting and getting used to, you will appreciate the dish.
Moderate consumption of snacks is good for health, as the product is rich in fiber, vitamins A, C and B group, contains calcium, iron and beneficial lactic acid bacteria. Due to this, cholesterol levels are reduced, digestive processes are activated, immunity is increased and the development of cancer cells is prevented.
Video “Korean kimchi step by step recipe”
This video will show you how to make Korean kimchi.
Chinese cabbage kimchi recipes
Classic Korean recipe
The taste of this dish primarily depends on the quality of its ingredients, in particular sea salt and Korean pepper flakes.
Components:
- Chinese cabbage – 700 g;
- water – 750 ml;
- sea salt for brine – ½ cup;
- sea salt in large granules for sprinkling – ¼ cup;
- plain or rice flour – ½ tsp;
- crushed garlic – ¼ tsp;
- Korean radish – 115 g;
- green onions – 2 bunches;
- Korean hot pepper flakes (gochaguru) – ⅓ cup;
- anchovy fish sauce – ½ tsp;
- shrimp fish sauce – 1 tsp;
- sugar – ½ tsp. l.
You need to cook cabbage with gloves so that the skin does not suffer from spices.
How to cook:
- Cut the Beijing into 2 or 4 parts, moisten with water, squeeze out excess liquid.
- We rub each leaf with salt so that the bulk falls on the base.
- We put it in a container and leave it for half an hour.
- We turn the pieces, moisten with juice and leave in a container. You need to turn over every 30 minutes until the cabbage is pickled. Usually a few hours are enough.
- While the cabbage is cooking, prepare the sauce: mix rice flour with water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture boils, add sugar and remove from heat. Let’s cool down. The sauce should be mushy.
- Finely chop the radish.
- Grind garlic and onion in a blender.
- Add fish sauces, pepper flakes, garlic with onions and radish to the rice sauce. We mix everything thoroughly.
- We wash the cabbage, cut off the thick bases and coat with gruel, leaving part of the mixture on each leaf.
- We put it in a container, press it and leave it in a warm room for a couple of days. Then kimchi is placed in the refrigerator or cellar, where we store the workpiece until consumed.
Korean style with vegetables
The version with vegetables differs from the classic kimchi only in the set of ingredients – starch is used instead of rice flour, and sweet bell peppers, carrots and parsley are additionally added.
Parsley is rubbed together with garlic and spices, and bell peppers and carrots, cut into strips, are combined with radish and used for a layer of pickled cabbage leaves.
A simple recipe
The ingredients for this option are commercially available and the cooking method is extremely simple.
We will need 3 kg of cabbage, 3 heads of garlic, hot red pepper and 250 g of salt.
We salt the cabbage according to the classical scheme. Then we grind equal amounts of pepper and garlic through a press, wash the cabbage and rub it with the resulting garlic mixture. Fold the workpiece tightly in a glass container and marinate for several days.
A unique recipe from Sichuan
In this recipe, two types of peppers are added – Bulgarian and green Chinese, as well as onions and several carrots. Peppers, cabbage and onions are cut into large pieces, the onions are finely chopped. All components are poured with marinade and placed in a glass container in the refrigerator for a day.
To prepare the marinade, you will need 2,5 tbsp. l. sugar, 1 tbsp. l. vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, 1,5 tsp. celery seeds, 1 tsp. mustard and 0,5 tsp. turmeric. All components are poured into boiling water and boiled for several minutes.
With added sugar
Sugar will help make spicy cabbage more tender.
For cooking, you will need 1 kg of cabbage, 1 tbsp. l. salt, ½ tbsp. l. sugar, 1 tbsp. l. chili pepper and 1 head of garlic.
Step-by-step recipe:
- Cut the vegetable into strips of 1,5–2 cm. Sprinkle with salt and sugar, mix and crush. Press down and leave for 12 hours.
- Mix pepper with a pinch of salt, add a little boiling water and chopped garlic, mix and leave for 10 hours.
- Rinse the cabbage, add the pepper mixture and place in a container. After a few hours, stir and leave for a few more hours.
- We put it in a jar, close it and put it in a cold place.
With vinegar
Vinegar balances all components and gives harmony to taste.
Components:
- 300 g cabbage;
- 1 Art. l salts;
- 7 Art. liter. sugar;
- 4 art. l. vinegar.
How to cook:
- Cut the cabbage into thin slices, salt and leave for an hour.
- Wrap in gauze and squeeze out the salty liquid.
- Mix vinegar and sugar, boil in the microwave. Water the cabbage.
- Marinate 2-3 days. Mix with chili before serving.
With bell pepper and garlic
Cabbage according to this recipe is not only tasty, but also crispy.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium head of Chinese cabbage;
- 2 Art. l salts;
- 1 bell pepper.
Cooking steps:
- Pour salt into 1 liter of water, boil and leave to cool.
- Cabbage cut into thin strips and pour brine.
- After a day or two, we wash the workpiece and dry it.
- Add chopped bell pepper. From spices, if desired, add chili pepper, garlic, cilantro seeds. Grind until smooth and add to the cabbage.
- We marinate for 2 more days.
With the addition of daikon radish
This version of kimchi differs from the classic one in that 2 times more daikon radish, ginger root (grated) and chopped onion are added. All these ingredients, along with spices, green onions and garlic, are ground until smooth and combined with rice flour sauce. Then, the leaves of pickled Beijing cabbage are processed with the resulting mixture.
With shrimp and green onions
Components:
- cabbage – 5 heads;
- onion – 5 pcs .;
- green onions – 1 large bunch;
- two large radishes;
- ginger root;
- 100 grams of sugar;
- ground red pepper – 250 g;
- 400 g freshwater shrimp;
- garlic to taste.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Salt the cabbage in the classic way.
- Grind garlic, onion and three ginger. Mix with spices.
- Shred the radish and green onion.
- We wash and dry the cabbage, rub with a garlic-spicy mixture and layer with vegetables.
- Leave for a day in the room, and then put in a cold place.
With red fish and Chinese pears
This appetizer will satisfy the taste of gourmets and connoisseurs of unusual combinations.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of Chinese cabbage;
- 1 radish;
- 2-3 Chinese pears;
- 50 ml fish sauce;
- 200 g ready-made kimchi sauce;
- 3; see ginger root;
- 50 g salt;
- Xnumx g of granulated sugar;
- 50 g of Korean adjika yannem;
- 100 g salted red fish.
How to cook:
- Salt the cabbage according to the classical scheme.
- Peel the pear and radish and cut into small thin slices. Chop the onion.
- Mix fruits with vegetables and add yangnem and fish sauce.
- Wash and dry cabbage.
- Grate the ginger root and add salt, sugar, fish sauce and kimchi. Add finely chopped fish.
- Spread cabbage with ginger sauce and layer with fruit and vegetable mixture.
- Pour into container and refrigerate for 2 days.
Without fish sauce
This option is very easy to prepare, but also very tasty.
We will need a small head of cabbage, 30 g of salt, an onion, a few cloves of garlic (3-4), ground chili pepper.
Cut the cabbage into strips, sprinkle with salt and let stand for about 6 hours. Then add the onion (half rings), crushed garlic and pepper. Mix, place in a container, press down with a press and leave for a couple of days.
Culinary recommendations
Koreans advise using only high-quality sea salt and salting the ingredients in layers.
Any recipe will benefit from the addition of ginger, garlic and red hot peppers.
Author’s advice
If you want a more tender piece, then be sure to remove the core and cut off the rough bases.
In any case, even after the wonderful reviews, we advise you to cook a small amount of kimchi according to your favorite recipe.