This kimchi is so pink and pretty. It was always served during the main holidays and family gatherings at my house. I love this kimchi because it is refreshing and crunchy. See a trend here? I just love a cold, briney kimchi soup.
My mom taught me this on her visit to London when my daughter was born. We made different types of kimchi together whilst the baby slept. It is a memory that I will always cherish.
Like the dongchimi- this is also something you eat cold, straight out of the fridge. And can be a great broth for noodles.
Makes 2.5 - 3 liters including brine
What you need:
Mooli aka Daikon or large Turnip: 1 medium 500 g
Napa Cabbage: 1 small 500 g
Spring Onions: 2-3 Sprigs
Garlic: 1 large clove, 3 g, 1-1.5 tsp diced
Ginger: 1 thumb size, 6 g, 1 full tsp diced
Apples: 1-2 depending on size. Total abt 200 g = 2 cups chopped. Apples need to be crispy!
Onions: 1-2 depending on size. Total abt 200g = 2 cups diced
Gochugaru (Red pepper flakes): 2 tsp
Sea Salt : 2 tsp + 1% of water amount
Water: Variable depending on your container. In my case, 10 cups
Optional additions to serve: Cucumbers, Carrots, and Pine nuts. Recommend slicing Cucumbers and Carrots thinly- in many families they are cut into pretty shapes.
Cooking tools: Container or multiple that can hold 3 litres (e.g. 2 x 1.5 liter containers), Big Bowl for mixing. Measuring cups and spoons, Mesh Strainer & small spoon
What to do:
Start by chopping the Daikon/Turnip into thin bite size peices- they should be in thin slices about 1/8 cm thin and cut into blocks around 1 inch by 1 inch. Put them all in a big bowl and add 1 tsp of gochugaru. Toss and let rest while you chop up everything else.
Next is the cabbage. Remove the outer leaves and any other wilted or bruised cabbage bits. Pull off the leaves and cut each leaf into blocks about 1 inch by 1 inch- similar to the Daikon peices. Add to the bowl. Wash and chop Spring Onion into 1 inch peices. Slice the white parts in half. Dice the garlic clove, ginger. Add everything to the bowl. Add 2 tsp of Sea Salt and toss everything together well. Once tossed, transfer everything into the containers you will ferment the kimchi. In the bowl that you mixed the ingredients, add 9-10 cups of water. Amount of water depends on 2 things:
1. Container size you need to leave at least 2 inches from top when ingredients added.
2. Enough water to submerge all ingredients.
Add 1 tsp of Gochugaru to a Mesh Strainer holding it above the bowl of water. Dipping part of the strainer into the water, gently rub the spoon to strain the Gochugaru through. The water will become a light pink-orangey hue. Add Sea Salt - 1-1.5% of the water amount. In my case, I used 10 cups of water (2400 ml X 1% = 24g. I rounded up and added 30g or 1/8 cup). Mix until the salt has fully dissolved.
Pour the brine into the container leaving an 1 inch from the top.
Wash and chop a crispy Apple/Pear into the same size as the Daikon/Mooli. Peel and chop an Onion slicing thinly and then cutting into 1 inch peices- again same size as everything else.
Add to the kimchi last and close the container. Set outside and leave to ferment. Although weather dependent, it usually takes 1-3 days before the kimchi ferments. After 24 hours- taste the brine and if needed, adjust salt level. Do this by taking 1 ladelful and mixing in 1/2 tsp salt. Mix to dissolve the Salt into the brine. Add back to the kimchi and give a quick mix.
This kimchi may not produce bubbles when ready, but it can. So I recommend tasting every 24 hours. The kimchi is done when the brine tastes punchy almost sparking in your mouth AND the Daikon and Onions no longer have any raw edge.
Put it in the fridge and serve cold. Add sliced Carrots, Cucumbers (both or just one) if you would like. Also sprinkle a few Pine Nuts before serving. ENJOY!
Delicious as a side to any meal - especially Korean meal! Also tastes great as a base for a cold noodle soup.
