【Worth the Wait】Homemade Kimchi

Kimchi is one of our pantry staples. We love to throw it in a salad or a nabe pot to add some extra kick. I never thought I would make kimchi myself, as there are sooooooo many choices available in Hong Kong. We tried a couple of store-bought kimchi brands here. After being disappointed every time, the idea of making my own kimchi didn't sound so crazy.

Homemade kimchi

Duration of fermentation depends on two factors: 1) Room temperature. The warmer it is, the less time it takes. 2) The level of sourness you prefer. The longer the fermentation, the more sour it is. I did mine in Summer time in Porto and it just took 3 days.

Ingredients：

1 big Chinese cabbage

1/3 cup salt

5 cups cool water

Glutinous rice flour sauce

1tbsp glutinous rice flour

1/2 cup cool water

Marinade

1 1/2 cup daikon (julienned)

3/4 cup carrot (julienned)

1/2 cup pear (julienned)

3/4 cup green onion (chopped)

6 cloves garlic (mashed)

1tbsp ginger (grated)

1/3 cup kimchi base

2tbsp fish sauce

1/3 cup Korean chilli powder

1tbsp dashi powder

1/4 cup sesame

a pinch of salt

Steps：

1. Wash each cabbage leaf carefully. Drain well and cut them into 2-inch wide pieces.

2. Dissolve salt in cool water. Then soak the cabbage over night.

3. Drain the cabbage well. Lay them on kitchen towels to absorb the extra moisture.

4. Sprinkle some salt on the daikon and let it sit for a while. Drain and squeeze out the extra moisture completely.

5. Next, make the glutinous rice flour sauce. Mix glutinous rice flour and cool water in a pot. Cook over medium heat for around 5 minutes or until homogenous. Let cool and set aside.

6. Combine all marinade ingredients into a big bowl. Pour in cool glutinous rice flour sauce. Mix well.

7. Place the kimchi and the juice in a sterilised glass jar. Fill it up and squeeze the kimchi down to make sure no air bubbles are inside.

8. Seal the lid (not too tight or you might have trouble opening it due to a change of air pressure inside).

9. Place it in a dry and cool place with shade for 3-6 days to ferment. Once it's ready, keep it in the fridge.