The Best Korean Kimchi Recipe 韓國泡菜, The National Dish of Korea!

Ingredients:

1 head of napa cabbage, cut lengthwise, quartered

5 tablespoons of rock salt

3 oz of Korean dried cod, shredded (bugeochae)

1 medium daikon radish, about 1 pound, cut into 2-inch matchsticks

1 bunch of scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces

½ of apple, pureed

1 tablespoon of ginger, minced

2 tablespoons of garlic, minced

½ of onion, pureed

1/4 cup of salted shrimp (saewoo juht)

1/4 cup of anchovy fish sauce

1/4 cup of lance fish sauce

1/4 cup of plum extract

2 tablespoons of sweet rice flour

1 1/2 to 2 cups of Korean red chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)





Instructions:


1. Rice glue: in a small saucepan, add the rice flour and 2 cups of
water over high heat. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to
medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes, whisking constantly, until the liquid
is thickened to a ribbon-like consistency and you can see the bottom of
the pan while whisking. Set aside to cool.





2. Add 1 cup of water inside a big bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of
rock salt, put the Napa cabbages inside the bowl and rub rock salt on
every leaf. Leave them there for 5 hours, then flip them and leave them
there for another 5 hours. After 10 hours, drain all the excess of
water.





3. Soften the dried cod with half cup of warm water. Put it aside for the kimchi paste.





4. Kimchi paste: In a big bowl, combine the daikon radish, scallions,
ginger, garlic, salt shrimps, anchovy fish sauce, lance fish sauce,
plum extract, rice glue, dried fish, Korean red chili pepper flakes, and
mix everything well to become a paste.





5. Bring the cabbages into this bowl, and rub the paste into every single leaf.





6. Tightly pack the kimchi into jars or containers with tightly
fitting lids, or cover tightly with plastic, making sure it is not
exposed to the air. Allow the kimchi to sit at room temperature for at
least 2 days, or longer if you desire a stronger flavor. Then put it in
the Refrigerate for another 5 days.