# Kimchi



## megan85 (Sep 28, 2006)

I'm looking for a tested reliable recipe for kimchi (or kimchee) and was wondering if anyone here has one they use....

I don't shy away from hot, so chiles are fine...

I tried making it once from a recipe that a former foster mom gave me from a "hippie" book but it turned out way too salty and i dont think i let it ferment long enough.. 
Been craving it so im willing to try again! 


Edit------- am also looking to refresh my memory of a soup i tried (korean?) named "dal" ? I dont know the correct spelling....... it was made with a poached egg in middle ?? sorry its been a few years!

Thanks


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## grumblebee (Sep 28, 2006)

I love love love kimchi! It is so tasty and easy to make. I have had good success following this recipe I usually omit the onion juice though because I found it to be too oniony when I used it. 

I've also made a simple kimchi by just chopping up napa cabbage, sprinkling with a bunch of salt and letting it sit in a big tupperware at room temperature for about 12 hrs or until the cabbage starts releasing its water. I will then drain and rinse the cabbage and then add in 1/2 thinly sliced onion and a few squirts of Sriracha chili sauce.


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## jennyema (Sep 28, 2006)

We eat kimchi all the time, and mostly buy it in 64 ounce jars. But I have made it from scratch. I have a kimchi cookbook with various recioes organized by season and have had good success with most, but before I got the book I used recipe whch works well.

It is a bit challenging to get the correct fish sauce (most kimchi has a fermented fish product in it as a backnote)-- called "kimchi sauce" in this recipe (it's not Thai) and chili pepper (Korean is unique) to make it taste completely authentic.

Asked my korean friend about the soup and was told pal/dal means egg.  Can you describe it more fully?


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## Constance (Sep 28, 2006)

My holistic practitioner friend swears by Kimchi...he says all the little organisms working in it are very good for the digestive system. 
I've never tried it. My husband complains enough about the way my sauerkraut smells...I can only imagine the comments he'd make about the "aroma" of Kimchi.


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## jennyema (Sep 28, 2006)

Constance said:
			
		

> My holistic practitioner friend swears by Kimchi...he says all the little organisms working in it are very good for the digestive system.
> I've never tried it. My husband complains enough about the way my sauerkraut smells...I can only imagine the comments he'd make about the "aroma" of Kimchi.


 
You go that right!  Sauerkraut smells like fine French perfume by comparison!

I love kimchi but almost can't stand the odor in my fridge ...


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## shpj4 (Sep 28, 2006)

I have never tasted Kimchi but I know that you can buy it in the market.
Someday I may try it.


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## karadekoolaid (Sep 28, 2006)

megan85 said:
			
		

> ...am also looking to refresh my memory of a soup i tried (korean?) named "dal" ? I dont know the correct spelling....... it was made with a poached egg in middle ?? sorry its been a few years!
> 
> Thanks


 
Dal would be Indian, I'd think.Dal is a soupy mixture of lentils with spices. Love the stuff myself!


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## jennyema (Sep 29, 2006)

Dol means stone in Korean 

Guk is "soup"


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## megan85 (Sep 29, 2006)

Thanks for the answers, ive been at work the past couple days prepping for oktoberfest (big at a microbrewery haha)
I'll get back to the replies in detail a little later......
Jennyema, your recipe sounds delicious, but ive never heard of kimchi sauce before lol.... i wonder what its made of........... ? lol


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## Claire (Oct 10, 2006)

I make my own kimchee because I don't like it fermented or with fish sauce.  I make both napa cabbage and cucumber.  Husband (who lived in Korea)(my experience is from Korean military wives) loves mine and calls it "spring" kimchee (as opposed to the pots of it that have been sitting in the ground all year).  I found a recent product of pickled hot garlic which is a great short cut.  I make it every month or two.


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## GrillingFool (Jun 26, 2007)

I am trying my first batch tonight. I have a package of kimchi flavoring
I was gonna use, but I think a trip to the local oriental grocery store is 
in order, since all I need is some fish sauce.

This should be interesting......


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## Claire (Jul 2, 2007)

Last week I made kimchee with zuchini squash. Living in Hawaii, we ate kimchee made from almost anything (although, of course, cabbage rules). The squash (courgettes to some of you) was great! I'm having a hard time here,though, finding dried pepper flakes that are not mostly seeds. I can buy kimchee at WalMart, But I prefer to make my own when I can.


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## GrillingFool (Jul 2, 2007)

Mine came out kind of bland. I used bottled chilli sauce from the store 
instead of chili powder.
Claire, what kind of pepper product do you use?


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## jennyema (Jul 2, 2007)

GrillingFool said:
			
		

> Mine came out kind of bland. I used bottled chilli sauce from the store
> instead of chili powder.
> Claire, what kind of pepper product do you use?


 

You used the ketchup kind of chili sauce in kimchi? That's really not going to make anything authentic tasting. Even if you used a thai chili saice, it won't taste like Korean kimchi.

There's no chili powder in kimchi. You need dry Korean hot pepper from the asian market. If you can't get that, use ground red pepper.

Or make mul ("water') kimchi with fresh hot peppers.

Also, you don't need a package of "kimchi flavoring" (what's in that anyway?), just a good recipe.  The "kimchi flavoring" may also have contributed to a bland product.


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## GrillingFool (Jul 2, 2007)

Oh, the kimchi flavoring packet didn't get used, LOL!
I found some Fish Sauce, but my local Oriental grocery stores
don't seem to stock any Koren hot pepper powder. They have
regular "chili powder", like I can get in regular grocery stores.....

I used Korean chili sauce; it is fairly hot, but yes, it was lacking!

Also, mine was slightly salty. Think I should rinse the Bok Choy after
brining it?

It's that darn chili powder/hot pepper that's holding me back. Don't know what to
use. Pah.

thanks for suggestions!


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## jennyema (Jul 2, 2007)

What kind of "korean chili sauce" did you use?   Was it _kochujang?_

Don't use the chili sauce.  That's wrong.  Use ground red (hot) pepper from an American source if you can't find dark red Korean hot pepper.  Does your asian grocer have a Japanese section?  Sometimes Korean ingredients are mixed in with the Japanese stuff.  

Without looking at your recipe, it's hard to tell if rinsing it would have been appropriate.  I would imagine you could rinse the bok choy after brining but before combining it with the other ingredients.


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## Claire (Jul 3, 2007)

I just visited my Asian grocer (in Dubuque), and they don't have the kind of chilie I like to use for kimchee.  It is like dried chili flakes (the stuff you put on pizza) but without all the seeds.  Lacking that, I use either regular dried chili flakes or garlic-chili paste, lee kum kee brand is available even in our small-town grocery, and there is a vietnamese brand I buy regularly (distinguished by the rooster on the label)

Yes, I do rinse the cabbage after salting.  Rinse, roll in a towel and squeeze.  That is how my Korean lady friends taught me.  Then put in a bowl with the peppers and some slivered garlic and roughly chopped green onions.


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## GrillingFool (Jul 3, 2007)

Well, I went Oriental grocery store haunting, and low and behold I found some
CRUNCHY PEPPER.... sure looks like crushed red pepper! Which, the new owner assured me, was excellent for making Kimchi.

We will see.

My recipe so far is:
(Is that enough pepper powder?)
(I added "rinse lightly" )

 2 Chinese cabbages, about 5 lb
1/2 Daikon radish, cut into 1/4/-1/2 x 1 inch slices
2 bunches spring onions, cut into 1 inch lengths   
1 cup  Sea salt 
 4-6 heaped tablespoons (about 1 ounce) Korean chili powder
 8 cloves garlic, crushed & julienned
 2 tablespoonfuls sugar, any kind
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1/2 inch ginger root, crushed, or teaspoonful powdered ginger 


Rinse the cabbages, then quarter them lengthwise into pieces no larger than
about 1.5 inches long.
Dissolve 1 cup salt in 1 gallon of water, soak cabbage for at least 8 hours.
Weight the cabbage so that it all is submerged.
After it has brined, remove cabbage and drain very well. Rinse lightly.
Add daikon.

Mix chili, sugar, garlic, ginger and fish sauce.
Add onions, let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix into cabbage mixture very well.

Pack into jar(s) tightly, pressing down to remove air bubbles.
Cover loosely, keep in warm (70 degree or so) room for 48 hours.
Then refrigerate.


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## justplainbill (Jul 3, 2007)

Sounds like a keeper.  Please let us know how it turns out.  Might be easier to eat if the cabbage was somewhat more shredded?


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## jennyema (Jul 3, 2007)

Grillingfool,

I see that you are using the recipe I posted! 

Yes, to rinsing lightly if you thought it was too salty and Yes (probably) to that being enough pepper. Taste it before you use it to see if it is hot enough for you. After mixing the chile/sugar/fish sauce into the cabbage, taste it and add more pepper if you need to.

justplainbill, kimchi is traditionally made in pieces of that size. Perfect for chopsticks.

P.S. you might want to look at some recipes for summer Mul Kimchi (water kimchi)

Edited to add that I am still curious as to whether your chili sauce was kochujang ... curious as to whether that's available where you live.  It would certainly open up a larger world of Korean dishes toyou.


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## GrillingFool (Jul 3, 2007)

LOL jennyema!
I looked at so many recipes that I forgot where it came from. I tend
to see what's consistent and what's unique in a slew of recipes, then
pick and choose from all of them. Shoulda stuck with the first one, huh?

Picking Fish Sauce was an adventure too. There were a couple that 
looked pretty darn scary... pink and lumpy or black and tarry! 

Off to cut the cabbage and brine it so I can kim my chi tonight.

I just really like pickled food. oink


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## GrillingFool (Jul 5, 2007)

Round two of the Kimchi Odessy is now refrigerated.
I figured I had decent kimchi when I smelled it from 12 
feet away!  That was a 2 day ferment. I bet a 3 day would
be even better.

So my "Crunchy Pepper" is pretty spicy! On the Fool's Heat O Meter,
it rates Breaks a Good Sweat Hot. 
(Which is probably a Low Hot for others, but is a level I can tolerate for
extended periods... like a serving's worth, LOL!)

the adventure continues...


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## jennyema (Jul 6, 2007)

GrillingFool said:
			
		

> Round two of the Kimchi Odessy is now refrigerated.
> I figured I had decent kimchi when I smelled it from 12
> feet away!  That was a 2 day ferment. I bet a 3 day would
> be even better.
> ...


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## GrillingFool (Mar 24, 2008)

Well... I have finally perfected (to me) my kimchi recipe. Only took 5 batches, with
varying success, LOL!
Gives a nice tang, good heat and crunch....
The heat is very adjustable... you can add more chili powder any time, even
after it's "done".

This is for 2 good size heads of napa cabbage...
As listed below, this will not have a lot of heat.
Add more chili peppers or powder to heat things up.
Since I never found "Korean mild chili powder", I went to the
local Hispanic grocery store. In the spice area were small bags
of spices.. I picked 3 varieties of ground chilis and taste tested them!
Then I mixed the two least hot and used that. Much less heat than
the easily available cayenne pepper.

GARLIC.. about 10 cloves or more
(1/3 grated, 2/3 chopped)
SCALLIONS.... 4 grated
GREEN ONIONS... 1 bunch, chopped into 1/2" lengths
GINGER... about 1.5 inch,  1/2 grated, 1/2 chopped
SUGAR.... about 2 Teaspoons
FISH SAUCE about 1/2 cup
THAI PEPPERS, Seeded, 5; Unseeded, 3, minced. More
CHILI POWDER...5 tablespoons... to taste.

Shred about 6 inches of a Daikon radish, and mix all ingredients
together. Cover and let marinate overnight.

Cut your napa cabbage into 1-1.5 inch, bite size pieces. Make a brine
with about 1 cup of iodine free salt, and add the cabbage. Mix well, 
then weigh the cabbage down. Let brine overnight at least. Drain, rinse
2-5 times, squeezing cabbage to remove salty water. (You can add
mustard greens or other broad leaf greens too.)

Mix well with flavoring mixes. Pack into jar, leaving space at the top. 
Push down to remove excess trapped air, cover loosely. Place in a cool
location for 4-6 days. Taste, add more heat if needed, refrigerate and
enjoy!!!.


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## PJP (Apr 10, 2008)

I need to start making my own Kimchi...  I would add fresh oysters to mine.


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