Kimchi Is Typically Something You Make In Bulk…

… because it’s something you want fermented for a long time. A long time ago, Koreans needed something to help them endure the harsh winters and salting & fermenting foods allowed them to do that. I grew up with my mom and aunts coming together to make kimchi, but now that I’m older and live alone, I don’t really make it anymore, especially because it’s such a hassle to make. But since it’s amazing for your gut health, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, which are great for skin and anti-aging, I wanted to incorporate it into my diet more frequently.

This recipe, in Korean called Mak-Kimchi (막김치) is for those who live alone or may not eat kimchi everyday, so it's for a serving size of one. Plus, there are many shortcuts in the directions so that it won't take as long to make. Kimchi doesn't go bad since it's fermented, and when it's too fermented that it's so sour, you can add it to a stew or fry it into kimchi fried-rice to enjoy, which is perfect for those who live alone. And if you don’t, this is still plenty of kimchi for a family! It just won’t last as long.

Ingredients:

Two nappa cabbages
1 bunch of scallion (6-8 bulbs)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic (3-4 garlic cloves)
2 tablespoons of ginger
1/4 of a medium-sized Korean pear
1/4 of a medium-sized onion
1/2 of a small-sized Korean sweet potato (inside is yellow)
1/4 of a Korean radish (half of the green part)
1/4 of a Fuji apple (or red apple)
1.5 cups of water for rice porridge
2 tablespoons of glutinous rice flour
2 tablespoons of fermented shrimp
2 tablespoons of anchovy fish sauce
2 tablespoons of plum extract (optional — gives it a more umami flavor)
4 handfuls (1 and 1/3 cup) of coarse salt
3/4 cup of Korean red pepper flakes (gochu garu)
Optional: sesame seeds

Materials:

2 medium basins and 1 large strainer (to wash and drain the lettuce)
Blender or food processor (This is a shortcut — if you don’t have it, you can mince everything)
Large glass or plastic containers to store and ferment the kimchi

Directions:

Preparing the Lettuce:

Rip off each lettuce leaf, split in half and rip apart with your hands into bite-sized pieces. (Typically, we cut the kimchi in half lengthwise and add the kimchi paste one leaf by one leaf, which takes much longer).
Soak the cabbage in cold water, and drain the cabbage.
Put one layer of the cabbage down to evenly cover the bottom of a basin. Sprinkle a handful or 1/3 cup of salt over the layer. Then add another layer and salt again until there is no more lettuce.
Put the other basin on top of the lettuce and let it salt for one hour. (Salting is what starts the fermentation process). Cover with the other basin. After an hour is up, flip the cabbage over for an even salt, and wait another hour. In the meantime, move on to make the kimchi paste. Total salting is a minimum of 2 hours (The more cabbage, the longer you wait)
After salting is over, rinse in cold water 3 times, drain and set aside.

Nappa Cabbage

Peel each layer

Cut and rip

Bite-sized pieces

Wash in cold water

Drain

Salt

Cover and wait until flipping again

Kimchi Paste:

Porridge (that will go into the kimchi paste):
- Set 1.5 cups of water in a small pot on medium heat
- Add 2 tablespoons of glutinous rice flour
- Stir frequently and occasionally to ensure it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
- Take off heat after 10 minutes or until it bubbles at the bottom if left un-stirred for 5 seconds.
- TIP: The rice porridge aids in fermentation by providing more probiotics into the kimchi. If you have sticky white glutinous rice already available, you can add about 1/2 cup of rice into the blender or food processor in the next sections, which will make it quicker.
Steam the Korean sweet potato for about 15-20 minutes. If you poke a hole through it and it goes in smoothly, then it’s done.
- TIP: If you’d like to save time, then microwave the sweet potato for 5-10 minutes in a bag with water.
Peel the Korean radish and cut the green part off. Use half of the green part and cut into very small, bite-sized pieces and into the blender or food processor
If you’re not using pre-minced garlic, then peel garlic and place into blender or food processor
Cut the Korean pear into bite-sized pieces and place into the blender or food processor
Cut the onion into bite-sized pieces and place into the blender or food processor
Cut the Fuji apple into bite-sized pieces and place into the blender or food processor
Peel the ginger and place into the blender or food processor
If using pre-minced garlic, place into the blender or food processor.
Place the rice porridge into the blender or food processor. Blend until one unified color / porridge-like consistency.
- TIP: You may have to split these ingredients into two parts if your blender isn’t big enough.
Pour out into one of the basins. Add the red pepper flakes, fermented shrimp, anchovy fish sauce, and plum extract. Mix with a large spoon or with your hand after putting on a glove until one even, red color.

only use 1/4 of each

cut into bite-sized pieces for easy-blending

constantly stir flour in water

stir for around 10 minutes

or until bubbles form like this

anchovy fish sauce, fermented shrimp, plum extract left to right

blended contents

add Korean red pepper powder

Mix and Make Kimchi:

Cut the scallions in the middle and roughly slice each one lengthwise. Add it into the basin with the kimchi paste.
When the two hours of salting is up, add in the salted lettuce into the basin with the kimchi paste and mix with your hands wearing gloves.
TIP: You’ll notice kimchi water slowly starting to seep out when you place into the container. The kimchi water is perfect to use in stews later and it helps it ferment even more. It comes from the radish we blended and the lettuce — both are high in water content!
Optional: Add sesame seeds on top before eating. Adds a nutty flavor.

Fermenting:

To get it to ferment quickly, leave the container full of kimchi at room temperature for a 2-3 days. Open the lid occasionally to avoid leakage and “burp” your kimchi. When it smells more sour, you know it’s fermented. Keep it in your fridge afterwards to allow it to last a long time (3-6 months). Old kimchi is great for stew, and although adding heat to something with probiotics kills it the good bacteria, it’s so fermented that there is bound to be some probiotics afterwards.
TIP: If you have extra kimchi paste at the end, put it in a baggie and store in your freezer to save for a spicy stew another time!