The Ultimate Kimchi Recipe
There are probably as many different recipes for Kimchi as there are Koreans, but nothing on earth tastes as good or is as good for you. Kimchi can be based on a variety of vegetables, but arguably the healthiest & most common version is based on cabbage.
The recipe in this article is one I learned from Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim on a Self-Discovery Weekend. This is probably the ultimate kimchi recipe. A lot of Korean foods are too hot for the Westerner to enjoy at first. But this recipe blends a variety of flavors & textures in a way that suits the Western palette. It also provides a pleasing mixture of colors & adds a bit of fruit to sweeten the taste.
One of the interesting aspects of Grandmaster's teaching is that the energy you are generating while preparing food goes into the food through the energy fields around your body, & especially your hands. The directions in this article capture as much as possible of the flavor of that teaching, encouraging you to generate the best possible energy while cooking. If nothing else, consciously preparing your food will be a healthy & rewarding experience, irrespective of any effect it may have on the food itself.
If you have already tried kimchi, & you like it, then you are going to just love this recipe. If you didn't like it, then keep an open mind -- you haven't tasted anything like this before. And if you have never tried it before, don't go right out to a Korean restaurant & expect to find what is described in these pages -- its not even close. I hope I've got you curious enough to try this recipe. Besides tasting great, it can make an incredible difference in your health & longevity.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make the "Utlimate Kimchi' (my name for it), & quick summary of the directions. Obviously, organic vegetables are the best. Not so obvious is that raw, unrefined vinegar & oil make a big difference. Of the two, absolutely the most important is unrefined sesame oil.
Ingredients Directions
Organic foods
1 Napa cabbage
3 Carrots
2 Cucumbers
3 Heads broccoli
2 Bunches scallions (green onions)
1 Apple
2 Small oranges
1 Lemon
From the Health food store
Unrefined rice vinegar
Unrefined sesame oil
Kosher salt (or sea salt)
From the Korean foods store (or the Asian foods aisle in your local supermarket)
Crushed red pepper (coarse)
Crushed garlic
Sesame seeds (Roasted more flavorful. Raw may be healthier.)
Rinse all vegetables in water & salt.
Cut out stem of cabbage with a V-notch, then cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise once again, & slice crosswise into strips.
Cut the cabbage stem into thin strips. Sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt. Mix well & stir using your hands.
Let cabbage sit while peeling carrots & cucumber. Peel carrots completely. Take strips from the cucumbers.
Section the carrots & cut into thin strips. Section the cucumbers & cut into thin strips.
Cut broccoli heads into bite-sized pieces, cut stalks diagonally to make thin oval slices.
Add salt. Mix well & stir using your hands again.
Trim scallions (green onions), slice the white part down the center, then cut into strips diagonally.
Core & dice the apple then add to the vegetables.
Peel the oranges & lemon. Slice the oranges, separate into pieces, & add to the vegetables.
Put a handful of chilli pepper into a sauce bowl. Add from a third as much to an equal amount of sesame seeds, & crushed garlic.
Add enough sesame oil to moisten everything, & approximately an equal amount of rice vinegar (enough to make a paste). Dice the lemon & squeeze into the bowl, add the remaining pieces.
Mix the ingredients in the sauce bowl to make paste, then gently add the paste into the vegetable bowl.
Note:
When it comes to the amounts, there are no hard & fast rules. It's all done "to taste", & I can tell you that when GrandMaster makes it, it tastes a lot better than when I do. (The taste you're going for is one that balances all of the flavors, so you're aware of each of them as you eat.)
Directions
Preparing the Basic Ingredients
Cabbage
First, cut the Napa cabbage in half lengthwise. Then you are ready to wash all of the vegetables. This is a very important step. Don't neglect it. Run cool water into the sink or into a bowl. Sprinkle some Kosher salt into the water, & put in a bit of vinegar. Then swish the vegetables around in the water. Let them stand for a little while, but not too long, so they get a thorough rinsing. The salt & the vinegar act to purify the vegetables, washing away any toxic residues from pesticides & any clinging dirt.
Now its time to slice up the cabbage. The secret to all Korean cooking is to cut the food into bite-sized pieces, just right for putting in your mouth & enjoying. That way, the meal can be eaten calmly, instead of hacking away with a knife & fork every minute or so!
Put half of the cabbage on the cutting board, flat side down. Then, at the base of the cabbage, cut a V-shaped notch around the stem to remove it the core.
Then cut the cabbage lengthwise again, but leave the two halves together. Now, starting at the base & working towards the top of the cabbage, cut across the cabbage making strips about one inch wide. As you cut, the pieces will begin separating. When you are done, put all the pieces into the large bowl.
Cut the other half & add those pieces to the bowl. Then sprinkle them all with a layer of Kosher salt. This again is a most important step. As the salt interacts with the cabbage, it draws out its natural juices & begins to break down the cell walls so that the spices in the chili paste can penetrate. Salting the cabbage is done early, so the salt can work while the other ingredients are being prepared.
After sprinkling salt, gently stir it into the cabbage. Do this with your hands, rather than with a tool. Use your hands like you're hugging the cabbage. Move them gently around the sides, & then gather them into the center. Then push the cabbage to the sides (gently) & pull your hands around the edges like you're swimming with a breaststroke.
Next, taste the cabbage. It shouldn't taste "salty". At the same time, you should be able to taste the salt. Try adding little at a time, & test it frequently. When you reach the point where the cabbage "zings", you've got it. The right balance of salt makes the cabbage come alive, so its exciting on your tongue. Practice! You'll get it.
As you prepare each of the vegetables, work them into the bowl with the same hugging technique. Add additional salt as required to keep the flavors tingling on your tongue.
Carrots
The carrots are next. Cut off the ends, then cut the carrots into sections about one inch long. Then stand the pieces on end, & cut downward into flat strips about a quarter of an inch thick.
In addition to making the carrots easier to chew, this method of cutting them exposes the maximum surface area of the inner fibers, so that they wind up as tender as can be! If you happen to have a very wide carrot, you can cut each "cylinder" in half vertically before making the downward cuts, then turn the piece 90 degrees, & continue cutting downward -- every vertical slice now makes two carrot slices. (Don't try this on the cucumber, though. The interior of the cucumber is too soft -- the extra cut makes it go limp too quickly.)
Cucumber
Before cutting the cucumber, use a peeler or knife to take off the skin. Leave thin strips of skin between the areas you peel -- they add color & texture -- but remove most of the skin. Then cut off the ends, & cut the cucumber the same way you cut the carrot (except for not cutting down the middle unless the cucumber is huge).
Broccoli
Before cutting the broccoli, remove the little leaves growing in & around the stalks. Then cut up the broccoli heads into bite-sized pieces. You can also add parts of the stalk if you cut them on a narrow angle.
To see what I mean, try cutting straight across the stalk. That gives you a small circular piece with a lot of rind & very little of the soft, white middle. But if you move the knife to angle the blade up the stem, you slice off a long oval with a lot of the white inside. These pieces are in good balance, with enough rind on the outside to keep a firm texture, & enough fleshy white part on the inside to make them a delectable treat.
Scallions (Green Onions)
The scallions are the last of the "standard" vegetables in this recipe.
Actually, none of the vegetables are standard.
There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi.
For example there is cucumber kimchi, that uses no cabbage. And there is mostly-cabbage kimchi with a few scallions & not much else. That's the kind of kimchi you usually find in Korean restaurants, & Koreans love it. But the basic kimchi we are making here is one that is designed to be a tasty treat for people who have never had kimchi before, & who may not even like spicy food all that much!
Whenever you make kimchi, don't be afraid to experiment. Use whatever you have on hand. That keeps it exciting.
No matter what kind of kimchi you make, though, always include the scallions. Scallions are a vital part of Grandmaster's cooking, & of Korean cooking in general. Onions & garlic have been eaten for centuries as regular staples by the longest living peoples on earth -- Asians, Russians, & Bulgarians. That is not a coincidence!
To prepare the scallions, first cut off the hairy ends & cut off as much of the green parts as have started to wilt. The topmost layer of skin on the onion is frequently soft & wilted, too. If you peel it off, you'll find fresh, crisp onion underneath. All of the onion that remains should be that crisp.
Once the scallions are ready, cut them once lengthwise, from about the middle (where everything joins into a single stem) down to the end of the stem. Opening the scallions in this way unlocks their flavor, & lets their juices mingle freely with the other ingredients in the Kimchi.
After slicing them lengthwise, hold several (or all or them) at one time, & cut short sections -- about half an inch long. But, rather than cutting straight downward, cut at an angle to expose the maximum amount of surface area.
Fruit
With the last of the vegetables in the bowl, check the salt level one more time, then start on the fruit.
Different fruits can be used. Each gives a different flavor. I have seen a pear used, for example, & it tasted great. But the standard blend that Grandmaster makes usually has an apple, a couple of oranges, & one or two lemons. Although the Korean kimchi you find in stores or restaurants generally does not use fruit, I love the little bits of fruit in Grandmaster's recipe. They taste great! (Hint: If anyone in your family tends to dislike spicy foods, use more fruit & less red pepper. They'll love it.)
To prepare the apple, either core it or slice it into sections & remove the core from the sections. Then dice the apple into half-inch cubes. Add them to the vegetable bowl.
For the orange, first remove the skin, then slice it like a pineapple, making slices between a quarter-inch & a half-inch thick. As you put the slices into the bowl, gently separate them into sections of one or two pieces. These pieces act like little surprise packages, giving you little bursts of flavor now & again as you enjoy the kimchi. They're wonderful!
When adding the lemon, first remove the skin & slice it into round sections, the same as the orange. But then dice the lemon into tiny bits before adding it to the bowl. Brush off the juice on the cutting board into the bowl, too. It adds a lot of flavor.
Note:
Rather than adding the lemon to the bowl, it can also be used for extra moisture when making the chili paste. I've seen Grandmaster do it both ways.
Actually, I've seen Grandmaster do a lot of things differently each time. What matters most is the energy you put into the project, not strict attention to detail. If you perform each step with a purpose, & are consciously aware of that purpose, then that is sufficient. If something doesn't work out, then rely on Grandmaster's second principle of mental conduct: Learn from your mistakes! And if it does work out, great! Adding your own creativity & ingenuity to the process makes it that much more wonderful!
That takes care of the basic ingredients.
Preparing the Chili Paste
Now for the chili paste. This is the big step! So far, its easy to see why Kimchi is healthy. After all, its all raw fruits & vegetables, something we all need a lot more of in our diet. But much more healthy & energizing surprises await!
Chili Pepper
The first ingredient is Korean ground chili pepper. This is a very coarse grind of pepper. It consists of large flakes that are very flavorful & very hot.
Take out about as much as you think you'll need to cover the Kimchi & put in the small bowl. (Usually a small handful will do.) Don't worry about taking too much -- anything that doesn't get used on the Kimchi can be used later on as a flavoring for soups or rice or sandwiches. (Sparingly!)
Along with garlic & onions, chili pepper has been recommended by some very long-lived people! Its worth using, even if you are not all that fond of spicy foods. Remember to keep it in balance -- it should add flavor & zing, not cry out for a fire hose!
Garlic
This is without a doubt the secret ingredient in Kimchi -- large amounts of fresh, crushed garlic. Grandmaster recommends eating Kimchi with every meal. Anyone who looks as young as she does at 46 has got to be on to something. Along with meditation, exercise, stress release, & positive thinking, the garlic in her diet has a lot to do with that.
You need about half as much garlic as chili pepper, or a little more. You can relax, though. You don't have to crush it all yourself. Any Korean store (or a good Oriental store) will have small tubs of crushed garlic in the freezer section. For now though, let's finish up the recipe so we can enjoy the eating!
There are only a few steps left.
Sesame Seeds, Rice Vinegar, Sesame Oil
Now that you have added the garlic to the chili powder, add an equal amount of roasted sesame seeds. The total mixture so far is about 1/2 chili powder, one quarter crushed garlic, & one quarter roasted sesame seeds.
Add rice vinegar & knead the mixture with your hands. Add enough vinegar until you begin to form a smooth paste. Then add a dash of sesame oil -- about a tablespoon. Now is the time to add the diced lemon, if you haven't already added it to the large bowl.
Test the chili paste for flavor -- it will be hot, but the sesame & garlic flavors should also be pronounced. Add more ingredients as needed. Blend the ingredients until the paste has a uniform color. The dry chili pepper will be bright red. As you add rice vinegar & other ingredients, it becomes more orange. Try to keep it on the bright side, rather than a dull orange.
Ah. The selesai step.
Spreading the Chili Paste
Take a bit of the chili paste in your hand, & rub it into the top of the Kimchi. Softly. Gently.
Now practice your hugging exercise, gently moving the Kimchi around until all of the pieces are evenly coated. If you can see uncoated pieces, then you need to add more. The goal is to just cover the Kimchi -- any more chili paste than that, & it's going to be a lot hotter. If you are not used to spicy foods, add the chili paste a little at a time. Try it as you go. When you get to the point where your tongue says, "Wow! That's exciting!" then its time to stop.
Now for the Good Part...
Eating Kimchi
Get a bowl, put in some rice, & treat yourself to one of the best dishes you could possibly make.
Use kimchi as a side dish with any meal, have it with rice, or put it between two slices of toast & make a sandwich. Its great for you, however you eat it.
Storing Kimchi
After you finish eating, store the remainder in covered jars or bowls & keep them in the refrigerator. It should be good for a few weeks before it starts to develop the strong smell that says "Use me for soup!" You can use it for Kimchi soup practically forever!
Note:
In Korea, they put the kimchi in large earthenware jars that they bury in the ground. About a foot below the surface, the ground maintains a constant temperature of 55 degrees. In other words, it is an ancient & honorable practice to refrigerate the kimchi while it ferments.
To get the benefits of the fermentation process that is responsible for many of kimchi's healthy qualities, it is ideal to let it sit for a couple of days before eating. But it's not necessary to do that, especially if you make a lot of it. It is still a great, healthy salad when eaten immediately, & it will ferment over time.
Source
Treelight.com
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