Kimchi, the very pungent fermented cabbage from Korea is a tongue tickler for sure. It might take a few tries to let the flavor grow on your taste-buds but once you get addicted to it, there is no letting go. Loaded with gut friendly lacto bacteria, it is a very good source of probiotics !
Cut the cabbage into inch sized squares. Discard the tough inner stems.
Transfer to a mixing bowl . Add the salt and start rubbing into the cabbage with your fingers.
Once the cabbage starts to release water, pour a cup or half of tap water into the mixing bowl so that it fully covers the cabbage.
Put a plate on top of the cabbage and place a heavy weight ( pickle jar / mortar ) to weigh it down. Let it stand for 2 hours.
Drain the brine and rinse the cabbage under running water for 2 minutes. Squeeze gently and transfer into a colander to drain off any excess water.
Take the ginger, garlic, sugar, chili powder, chili flakes and soy sauce in a small bowl. Add a little water and mix into a thick paste.
Peel and cut the radish into thin matchsticks. The scallion needed to be prepped and cut into inch sized pieces.
Take everything into a large mixing bowl. Wear gloves and then use your hands to mix everything. Keep rubbing the paste into the vegetable pieces for about 5 mins.
Take the kimchi and pack it tightly it into a jar. Leave some overhead room for the gases that get released during fermentation. The Kilner glass jars are the best for this purpose as they allow the excess gases and even liquid to escape.
Let the kimchi stand at room temperature for 2-3 days depending on the temperatures. Give it a stir with a clean chopstick or even with your clean fingers once a day. Once it is fermented, you can see small bubbles on the surface.
Refrigerate it for one to two weeks to let the flavors fully mature. Keep it refrigerated and use it as required.
Notes
Freshly prepared Kimchi is usually crunchy and it loses its crunch as it matures.
Best to use the freshly made kimchi in sandwiches, wraps and burgers.
The more mature kimchi goes great with fried rice.