Mak kimchi (막김치)
Korea
A simple way to make authentic homemade kimchi. The cabbage is salted, rinsed and mixed with a spicy dressing made from radish, green onion, gochugaru and seafood, then fermented in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 2 pcs cabbage
- 1.25 cup coarse sea salt (brine)
- 6 cup water (brine)
- 1 pcs Korean radish
- 5-7 sprig green onion
- 1 cup gochugaru
- 0.33 cup aeujeot
- 4 tablespoon fish sauce
- 0.25 cup garlic
- 2 teaspoon ginger
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Steps
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Cut each head of cabbage lengthwise into 4 parts, remove the core and slice each quarter crosswise into pieces about 4 cm in size. Transfer to a large bowl.
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Dissolve 1¼ cups of coarse sea salt in 6 cups of water, pour the brine over the cabbage, mix thoroughly and let sit for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the leaves become flexible.
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Cut the Korean radish into pieces of the same size, sprinkle it with 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt, mix well and let sit for about 30 minutes, then drain the liquid without rinsing.
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In a separate bowl combine gochugaru, aeujeot, fish sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, sugar (optional) and 1 cup of water, mix until homogeneous.
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Rinse the previously salted cabbage three times with cold water, drain in a colander to remove excess salt and brine.
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In a large bowl combine the cabbage, prepared radish and green onion, add the spicy dressing and mix by hand until all vegetables are evenly coated with the paste.
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Transfer the kimchi to a clean airtight jar, splash with the remaining water (≈ ½ cup) and pack tightly, removing air pockets.
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Leave the jars at room temperature for 1–2 days, then seal the lids and store in the refrigerator for 1–2 weeks. After that the kimchi is ready to eat.