My family's relationship with Kimchi goes waaaayyy back to even before I was born! In our early years in Port Harcourt, Nigeria my Dad used to work at a Korean company, so we'd always join the Korean families whenever they had get-togethers/picnics. And my parents are the kind of people who always love to learn how something is made (which is why my Mom makes ah-mazing home-made hummus, tabouli, and my Dad makes incredible egusi soup!) So early on, they learnt the art of Kimchi, and it has stayed in the family for more than two decades now. Until recently, it was always my Mom making it - not just for home consumption, but also for sale. Now I've been forced to learn (thanks to my Dad's cravings and his broken hand.)
In the last two months, I've made Kimchi three times - the first two under my Dad's supervision, and today I made it 90% on my own! Here's how:
1. Chinese cabbage
Depending on how much Kimchi you want to make, get some Chinese cabbage. Last night I got three big ones, sliced them all in half and soaked them in salted water overnight. When I say salted water, I mean 20 full spoons of salt mixed with water. Salty water helps soften the cabbage. You don't need to soak overnight; a few hours is fine. After that, you take the cabbage out of the water and rinse thoroughly (to take out the salt). Then slice the cabbage - it's up to you how big or how small, but I went with 4 slices per cabbage. Squeeze and place them all in a strainer to take out all the water. Keep aside.
2. Other veggies
I peeled two large radish and one large carrot, then grated them in to a pot. I also got three spring onions and sliced them into tiny bits. Mix all in a pot and put aside.
3. The chilli sauce
In a blender, I put 30 garlic cloves, and one peeled ginger (about the size of my palm). Then I added three full spoons of chilli powder (you can buy this at any Korean store. There are a few Korean/Japanese stores in Makati. Just ask them for Kimchi powder and they'll show you. Most items in Korean stores are in Korean language - not a single English letter appears on the packet, so you'll never know unless you ask!) Everyone in my family loves our food spicy, so three full spoons is a good amount. You can put more or less. Then one full spoon of salt, and one not-so-full spoon of sugar. Drop them into the blender and add a little water. Blend all together until you get a smooth paste.
4. Mix 'em all up!
Add the sauce to the sliced veggies and mix mix mix. After that, throw your sliced cabbage into the mixture and mix some more. I didn't take a photo of this part because I had to wear hand gloves and mix everything by hand - that's the best way! Make sure every piece of cabbage is coated with the sauce, then turn everything into a container.
5. Ready to serve!
Top it all up with some sesame seeds then you're good to go. You can eat the kimchi right away (to enjoy the crispiness of the cabbage) or leave it on the table (room temperature, and covered) for a few days to ferment/become a little sour. Waiting a few days also brings out the flavours some more. After that, you can already keep it in the fridge.
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I hope this was simple enough to follow! :)
If you have a twist to making Kimchi, send me your recipe through the message
box on the right side of the page!