Ultimate Napa Cabbage Water Kimchi
Mastering the Deliciously Cool, Crisp, and Spicy Napa Cabbage Water Kimchi
Learn how to make an exceptional Napa Cabbage Water Kimchi that rivals restaurant quality, boasting a refreshing coolness, satisfying crunch, and a pleasant spicy kick. This detailed guide ensures anyone can achieve delicious results, even beginners!
Napa Cabbage Brining Ingredients
- 4 heads of Napa cabbage
- 2.5 paper cups of coarse sea salt (approx. 250g)
Sweet Rice Porridge Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour (approx. 20g)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (approx. 20g)
- 500ml water
Ingredients for Blending
- 20 red chilies (for color)
- 1 onion (medium size)
- 20 cloves garlic (whole cloves)
- 1.5 pears (adds sweetness and freshness)
- 3 cloves ginger (adjust to size)
- 4-5 tablespoons salted shrimp (for umami)
- 10 Cheongyang chilies (or to taste for spiciness)
Seasoning Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce (anchovy or sand lance)
- 6 tablespoons plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 2-3 tablespoons coarse sea salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 liters purified water (for the kimchi brine)
- 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour (approx. 20g)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (approx. 20g)
- 500ml water
Ingredients for Blending
- 20 red chilies (for color)
- 1 onion (medium size)
- 20 cloves garlic (whole cloves)
- 1.5 pears (adds sweetness and freshness)
- 3 cloves ginger (adjust to size)
- 4-5 tablespoons salted shrimp (for umami)
- 10 Cheongyang chilies (or to taste for spiciness)
Seasoning Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce (anchovy or sand lance)
- 6 tablespoons plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 2-3 tablespoons coarse sea salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 liters purified water (for the kimchi brine)
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce (anchovy or sand lance)
- 6 tablespoons plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 2-3 tablespoons coarse sea salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 liters purified water (for the kimchi brine)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, trim the outer leaves of the Napa cabbage and cut each head into 4 wedges. Fill a large basin with water and rinse the cabbage pieces thoroughly to help the salt adhere better. Take each wedge, and starting from the thick stem end, sprinkle coarse sea salt generously between the leaves. Let it brine for 30 minutes, then flip the pieces over. After another 30 minutes, gently pat the leafy parts with your hands to ensure they are coated with the salt water, brining for a total of about 1 hour.
Step 2
While the cabbage is brining, prepare the sweet rice porridge. In a pot, combine 500ml of water with 2 tablespoons of sweet rice flour and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Whisk well to dissolve any lumps. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a porridge consistency. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
Step 3
While the cabbage brines, prepare all the ingredients for blending. Place the red chilies, onion, garlic, pear, ginger, salted shrimp, and Cheongyang chilies into a blender. Blend until smooth, adding a little water if needed to help the blending process. Pour the blended mixture into a large bowl.
Step 4
To the blended mixture in the bowl, add the scallions cut into 3 segments, thinly sliced onion, and thinly sliced red chilies. Then, add the completely cooled sweet rice porridge, fish sauce, plum extract, 2-3 tablespoons of coarse sea salt, and 2 liters of purified water. Mix everything thoroughly to create the water kimchi seasoning. Taste and adjust the saltiness as needed.
Step 5
Rinse the brined Napa cabbage 2-3 times under running cold water and drain well. Place 1-3 cabbage pieces at the bottom of your kimchi container. Ladle a generous amount of the prepared seasoning over the cabbage. Continue layering cabbage pieces and seasoning until all ingredients are used. Pour any remaining brine over the top.
Step 6
Once the kimchi is packed, let it ferment at room temperature for about 1.5 days, then transfer it to the kimchi refrigerator. You will be rewarded with a wonderfully refreshing, crisp, and spicy Napa Cabbage Water Kimchi!
