How to make kimchi? Kimchi has been considered one of the traditional and main Korean foods for generations. Various ingredients are used in the preparation of kimchi, and this issue makes this traditional food have unique properties. In the traditional recipe, kimchi is prepared from vegetables, garlic, ginger and fish sauce and has different flavors such as sweet, sour and spicy. Kimchi should be used along with other main meals as a seasoning or sauce to prepare other Korean dishes. In this note, we will cover several easy kimchi recipes as well as preparing kimchi the traditional Korean way. In addition, we share with you many golden tips about preparing this delicious food.
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A look at kimchi and its properties
Kimchi is considered a national dish of South Korea and its invention dates back more than two thousand years. Kimchi is prepared from a combination of different vegetables with a special sauce and has a spicy and sweet taste that makes it more like a condiment than a main dish. In the traditional recipe, kimchi is prepared from a combination of cabbage, spring onion or radish in salt water, along with garlic, ginger, red pepper and fish sauce.
Various vegetables can be used in preparing kimchi, but the main vegetable in this seasoning is cabbage. There are hundreds of recipes to make kimchi, which vary depending on the season and region.
Koreans eat kimchi with every meal, even breakfast. Kimchi Jigae is a traditional Korean stew made with kimchi.
A traditional recipe for making kimchi
To prepare kimchi in a simple and quick way, you need these ingredients:
A large Napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage)
ginger
garlic
Chives
fish sauce
Shrimp paste or soy paste (for vegans)
Korean pepper called gochugaro or Korean pepper paste (gochujang)
How to make kimchi?
First, cut Napa cabbage or Korean cabbage into cubes or thin strips and place it in a bowl full of water with sea salt. Cabbage should be soaked in water and salt for 6 to 8 hours.
After the required time, drain and wash the cabbages. Then you should completely drain it and let it dry.
how to make kimchi sauce
To prepare special kimchi sauce, mix garlic, ginger, Korean pepper, spring onion, fish sauce (soybean paste) and sugar using a food processor. If you like your kimchi spicy, you can increase the amount of red pepper.
Peel the radish, white radish or carrot and cut into strips. Cut the onions in the same way.
Put the cabbages together with the white radish (carrots or radishes) and chives together with the prepared sauce into a bowl and massage a little with your hands.
Pour the prepared mixture into a glass container or a large vessel so that the fermentation process takes place in it properly.
Now pour a small amount of salt water into the glass until it covers the cabbages. Close the lid of the container and store in a cool and dark place for 3 to 5 days. After this time, kimchi is ready to use.
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Golden tips to prepare a kimchi
– You can use the combination of lettuce and cabbage to prepare kimchi.
– In cold seasons, kimchi can be prepared from a combination of ginger and vegetables, but in hot seasons, you can use less ginger or remove ginger completely.
– The ingredients needed to prepare kimchi can be varied in different seasons of the year. In general, kimchi includes cabbage, white radish and special sauce.
– Using tomato puree or dried tomato powder can make kimchi taste much more delicious.
– An easy and simple way to prepare kimchi is to soak the lettuce and cabbage leaves in a container of water and salt, and then put the special sauce on top of the leaves. In most regions of South Korea, kimchi is prepared in this way.
– To prepare kimchi, salt without iodine and purified water must be used. Water that contains chlorine does not allow the proper fermentation process.
– Fish sauce and shrimp paste make kimchi taste better and more authentic, so it is better not to remove them.
– To prepare kimchi, you can use a mixture of vegetables or prepare kimchi of each vegetable independently. For example, cucumber kimchi, onion kimchi, white horseradish kimchi, etc. can be prepared separately with a special sauce or a combination of all these vegetables can be used together with cabbage.
How to make cucumber kimchi (subagi)
Another type of kimchi that is very popular is cucumber kimchi. To prepare this kimchi model, you need the following ingredients:
4 cucumbers
Chives as desired
Crushed garlic 2 cloves
One tablespoon of red pepper powder
1 crushed ginger
How to make cucumber kimchi
Cut the cucumbers in half and make a cross cut on the head of each part.
Fill the inside of the cucumbers with chives, garlic, ginger and pepper. Put the mixture in a suitable container with salt water and put it in the refrigerator for 24 hours until the fermentation process is done and the kimchi is ready to be consumed.
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The unique properties of kimchi
Kimchi can be prepared from a combination of different vegetables or using one type of vegetables with a special sauce. In any case, kimchi has countless properties. In addition to having very few calories, this food is rich in minerals such as iron, folic acid, vitamins B6 and K, and probiotics. Probiotics are actually very beneficial bacteria that prevent diseases such as various types of cancer, heart disease, gastrointestinal disease, and skin disease. Kimchi helps to increase the body’s immune system and slows down the aging process of cells and increases the life of body cells.
Source : kimchi recipe 1403/01/14
