Cabbage Kimchi

1. Salting

Chinese cabbage 2 heads

Salt (coarse sea salt) 2 cups
Water 8 cups

Using a knife, make a 2-inch cut at the base of each cabbage and then pull them apart into halves (using hands). Make 2-inch cuts on every half head of cabbage. Don't pull them apart at this juncture.

Dissolve 1 cup of salt in 8 cups of water.

Place cabbage, cut(torn) parts facing upward in a big bowl. Pour in salt water.
Let it soak for 20 mins.

The leaves should become sort of wilted. Use the remaining 1 cup of salt to sprinkle on each leaf. (start from the dark/green bottom leaf and work upwards to the inner leaves)

Place the cabbage leaves back into the salt water (cut side up, so that the sprinkled salt doesn't run out)


Weigh down the cabbage with a big pot of water or anything that does the work.
Soak for 8 hours.


2. Preparing kimchi sauce mixture

Radish (thin strips) 1
Leeks (cut into about 2 in strips) 2 cups
Chopped fresh red chillies 2
Minced garlic (about 5-7 cloves)
Minced ginger (about 2 tablespoon)
Corn syrup 3 tablespoon
Dried chilli powder (about 2/3 to 1 cup)
Fermented shrimp sauce (2/3 cup)
Anchovy sauce (about 1/3 cup)
Rice powder (about 3 tablespoon)
Water (about 1/2 cup)


Take some salt water from the cabbage and soak radish strips in it for about 1/2 hour. Remove salt water, wash and drain.



Use rice powder and water to make a paste and bring to a gentle boil.
Let it cool.


Add fermented shrimp sauce, anchovy sauce, dried chilli powder to the rice paste and mix evenly.



Add minced chilli, garlic, ginger, leeks, corn syrup and radish to the mixture and mix evenly.



3. Washing the cabbage


After 8 hours, remove cabbage from saltwater. Wash over running water until the leaves don't feel slippery (about 4 to 5 times).


Pull apart the cabbage halves into quarters from the cut base (using both hands).

Drain properly.


4. Making kimchi

Rub the sauce mixture on the inside of each cabbage leaf (starting from the outer leaf working upward to the inner leaf).

Arrange the kimchi in a container and press lightly to get air pockets out. Cover and refrigerate

To serve, cut 1 in apart and serve in a small dish. Kimchi is served as a side dish. It can also be used to make kimchi fried rice, kimchi stew etc.