Hi again food loving friends! So! I wanted to share this recipe for you guys— it’s from/in the cookbook, The Plantiful Table! If you haven’t purchased it yet, I totally think you should– especially since mango season is coming a few of the recipes are super mango friendly, haha 🙂 No, but really, I don’t like to talk about the book much– I hate to feel super sale-sy about it, but it’s really a good addition to any recipe book loving household. Most recipes are created with the intention of being everyone friendly— and some, like this one, well, they might require a certain taste. But I wanted to share this recipe here for a few reasons. 1. it’s delicious. 2. it’s ridiculously easy to make. 3. fermented foods are REALLY good for you. 4. this will save you a ton of money if you regularly buy fermented foods. it’s SO much cheaper to make yourself! And too easy not to do it!
You’ll Need:
-1 medium head of napa cabbage
-2 tablespoons salt
-20 garlic cloves
-2 to 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled
-1/4 cup tamari
-1/4 cup water
-1/2 cup korean chili powder
-2 tablespoons gochujang (fermented red chili paste, available at Asain markets)
-a few stalks of green onions, sliced (optional)
-1/2 medium daikon radish, julienned*since writing the cookbook/getting sick, we’ve removed processed sugar from our home. it’s in the cookbook recipe– and won’t hurt you, but do, by all means, feel free to omit it!How To:
-Slice cabbage in half lengthwise; then slice in half again to make quarters. Remove the core of the cabbage from the base, then slice the cabbage width-wise into 1/2 inch pieces. Place the cabbage in a large bowl and toss with salt and sugar. Allow to sit and marinate for at least one hour.While marinating, chop the garlic and ginger in food processor, then place in a large bowl and stir in tamer, water, chili powder, and gochujang, and set aside.
Drain all excess water from the cabbage and combine with daikon radish (green onions if using), and chili paste mixture. Place in a large jar and allow to marinate overnight* before serving.
*PLEASE NOTE: So I want to add (and I didn’t really get into this AT ALL in the book)— but you can actually allow your kimchi to marinate/ferment for much longer. At least overnight is fine to allow the fermentation process to begin, but the longer it sits, the longer it ferments. Your home temperature will also play a part in how quickly your kimchi ferments. I’d recommend placing your jar on the counter and tasting it after one day to see if you like it. Not funky enough for you? Give it another day or two. Really, up to a week of fermentation should be fine— but 1 to 3 days will suffice! Once fermented, place in fridge to slow down the fermentation process and voila! Probiotic full magical kimchi for you life!
I eat this with EVERYTHING. I think in the next batch I won’t add ginger, just so that the flavors can mix with more dishes— but my rule for myself and my gut now is the more probiotic foods the better. I eat this as a side to just about anything and everything– and you could too! Also, if you’re feeling adventurous, feel free to add more veggies in there– carrots are something we add often! Either julienned like the daikon or grated.
Probiotics are the best way to build up your gut— and this is one of the absolute cheapest (and tastiest) ways to do it! Try it out! Happy gut-building, friends!
And don’t forget to get yourself or a friend or a family member The Plantiful Table 🙂 ps. thank you to all of you who have been sharing #theplantifultable it still seriously makes me so happy to see my recipes come to life in your home <3<3<3
5 Comments
I just put a batch together and can't wait to try it. Thanks!
Oh thank god for this post! I've been deprived of kimchi since my friend moved away. Store bought never cuts it. Can't way to finally try making my own!
This looks way easier than I would have thought, thank you! Do you know how long the kimchi is good for once it's fermented?
It's basically supposed to last forever and get better with age. But that always freaks me out, so I say a few weeks to months and toss if it ever seems weird at all!
Ok this actually looks really good. I've never tried kimchi but I would like to try making some and see if I like it!