Korean Classic Cabbage Kimchi

Do you like kimchi? Certainly! I love kimchi, who doesn?t love kimchi when K-pop is launching an aggresive invasion Asiawide? SJ, Wonder Girls, Shinee, Girls generation, blah blah blah... I think the younger ones are more familiar with these names than I am.

Now I am re-introducing this classic cabbage kimchi recipe, which I made several times already, it is sour in taste but definitely flavourful, quite different from the ready-made ones from the stores, it is not that salty or sweet, meaning that you can eat a lot while remain healthy. I recommend that you make the same amount as stated in the recipe, or slightly more, so that you can keep inside the fridge for up to 2 months. Most likely though, you will finish within a month.

Kimchi (or kimchee) is loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but its biggest benefit may be in its ?healthy bacteria? called lactobacilli, found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion, plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections, according to a recent study. And more good news: Some studies show fermented cabbage has compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer.



Recipe

Ingredients:
1 large Chinese or Napa cabbage - about 1kg
¾ cups (210g) sea salt
8 cups of water

Kimchi Spice Mixture
4 tbs glutinous rice flour
1.5 cups water (375ml)
2cm ginger, peeled and crushed
4 tbs fish sauce (can be reduced to 3 if too salty)
8 tbs groud red pepper
½ tbs sugar
1 radish, sliced into 2 cm strips
1.5 cups Chinese chives, sliced into 2 in lengths
½ leek, thinly sliced diagonally

Rinse the cabbage, remove 2 outer leaves and set aside. Halve the rest of the cabbage lengthwise. Rub ¼ cups of sea salt between all the leaves and place the cabbage in a large plastic tub or container. Add the remaining salt and the water. Place a big plate on top the cabbage to weigh it down and keep the cabbage immersed in a plastic container. Soak for 4 to 6 hours or more, until the stems soften, bend without breaking.

To make the Kimchi Spice Mixture, firstly, make a glutinous rice flour paste by heating the flour and the water in a small saucepan. Stir constantly until it thickens, abt 4 mins, then sieve and set aside to cool. Once it has cooled, combines with garlic, ginger, fish sauce, red pepper and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Add the chives and leek, mix gently and set aside.

After the cabbage has finished soaking, rinse the leaves thoroughly under running water. Fill a tub or container with fresh water and shake the two halves of the cabbage firmly to remove excess salt and set aside to drain. Rub the Kimchi Spice Mixture all over the cabbage and in between all the leaves. Press the leaves together and place into a large airtight container. Top with the reserved outer leaves and cover.

Leave the Kimchi to stand unrefrigerated overnight or 1 day, then refrigerate.