Small-Batch Kimchi Making (Cilantro, Green Onion, Cabbage, Chive)
Once you master the art of kimchi paste making, you can kimchify any and all of your favourite vegetables. Case in point, what we did here in a flurry of night activity. However, I would like to add that this particular example is atypical and I don’t suggest you do the same unless you enjoy kimchi-based Banchan (side dishes) for days at a time!
Clockwise from top left: Napa Cabbage, Green Onion, Cilantro and Chives.
We had wilting greens in the fridge (don’t ask, we haven’t mastered the art of efficient grocery shopping) and OPPA had a streak of inspiration to kimchify it all.
How to make Kimchi Paste (the Hurry Up Way)
Add flour (or Sweet Rice Powder if you wanna go legit) to water in a loose 1T to 1C ratio. All we had on hand was regular all-purpose flour. You can also make this paste using rice. Just grind up some rice or old cooked rice in some water, it’ll do the job.
Mix with whisk in low heat until thick (OPPA just uses a spoon, but this leads to lots of lumps). You can even heat it up until lightly thick and finish stirring off the stove using the residual heat (this has prevented burning- which has occurred to non-constantly-stirring people like us).
Add Salted Shrimp (you can dice it if you don’t like chunks) or just use Salt, also this is an optional ingredient for added oomph.
Add Fish Sauce (or just use Salt but you’ll be missing out), the paste should taste overly salty.
Add Garlic (a shitload if you ask us) in the amount you feel comfortable with.
Add (a lot of) Gochugaru - the paste should be a fire-engine red.
Add Sugar (if you want, we don’t) or a sweet fruit puree (Asian pears are commonly used) for slight sweetness.
Leave paste to cool (you don’t want to cook any of the veg).
These are the eyeball measurements: One part flour paste to 1/2 of that in Gochugaru to 1/3 of that in fish sauce (+ salted shrimp if you have it) and garlic to a bit of Pear (sweetener). I’d say the key points are going by colour- it also helps if you use high quality Gochugaru from Korea as OPPA is convinced it’s a more vibrant red.
Ginger is also commonly added. It’s great, we love ginger, but sometimes we just don’t have it. Make do with what you’ve got is another family motto here.
Also keep in mind every family makes their kimchi paste differently and it should taste good to you!
It’s an art, not a science baby.
👉 This video shows how you can speed things up even more by using the microwave to make the flour paste.
👉 Video from Professor Paik (Korea’s favourite TV home cook) on How to Make Kimchi.
How to Buy Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
Budget Gochugaru (China) https://amzn.to/3qswWBY
Gold Standard Gochugaru (Korea) https://amzn.to/2NioZkp
“Local” Korean Gochugaru (USA) https://amzn.to/3o8jdAM
You use Coarse (ground) Gochugaru for Kimchi-making as opposed to a fine grind that’s used more as a finishing spice.
The resulting paste should be a thick, red, salty concoction. We overdo it on the garlic and Gochugaru front because, hey, kimchi is about garlic and Gochugaru! Mother-in-Law has mentioned OPPA’s previous attempts were not nearly salty enough.
Kimchi will sit and ferment (liquid from the vegetable will dilute the mixture and you want the salt content to keep bacteria at bay), you’ll find it mellows with time. Having said this, I’d also like to add a note that if you’re making really small batches (you know you will finish it in a few days), salt it to taste (as in normal amounts, I hate being bloated in the face and hands for no reason).
Fresh Napa Cabbage Kimchi
You usually make Geojeori (Fresh Kimchi) without a floury paste to enjoy immediately by tossing it in a potent fish sauce/Gochugaru mixture but I enjoy eating crisp cabbage with a regular kimchi paste as well. Also, I personally don’t find the overpowering smell of fish sauce (although it’s supposed to be tempered by a liquid sugar like corn syrup or plum syrup) enjoyable and the flour paste hides this well.
Like I said, I enjoy this on Day 1 or Day 2, when it still tastes kind of like a salad, the crunch of the cabbage firm and juicy. But by the third day of fermenting in room temperature (leaving it out on the counter), you’ll have a better blend of flavours. You can also leave it in the fridge to slowly ferment like regular kimchi.
Eaten just a day or two after making provides an excellent palate cleanser for meat-heavy dishes like Korean BBQ. You can also add some chives for pops of colour and added yum-factor.
Last note here is that I love the rustic look of torn cabbage. You do this by cutting an inch or two at the head (where all the leaves meet) but tearing the leaves by hand.
Green Onion Kimchi (Pa Kimchi)
You know the Korean affinity for green onions (not to mention garlic), right? You’ll always see green onions and garlic in a Korean mom’s grocery basket. It should be no surprise that these guys are a match made in heaven.
Leave this out for only a day or two as it ferments fast. We also enjoy it pretty “fresh” (as in the green onions aren’t wilted to death). This is really the ideal kimchi to enjoy with Korean BBQ. Or Argentinian Asado. Or steak. Grilled anything lol.
Cilantro Kimchi
You either freaking love this herb or you don’t. We obviously fall into the previous category 🥰. This kimchi was fantabulous in making a kimchi-based Bibimbap (the simplest is to top a hot bed of rice with this kimchi and a fried egg, drizzle a little soy sauce and sesame oil and MM it’s delish). It tastes delicious right away and we enjoyed it all by Day 3.
Chive Kimchi (Buchu Kimchi)
Talking about the Korean love affair with garlic and green onions. Here is the favourite party-guy (related to both onions and garlic) that just gets along with everyone. This is OPPA’s favourite type of kimchi.
You want to let it sit out on the counter for at least 3 days for the sharpness to mellow out. Also, chives are very hardy plants and it’s easier to eat when it’s become softer in texture.
Will you be surprised if I also highly recommend this kimchi to go along with a BBQ? You shouldn’t be, kimchi itself is BFF with any grilling partaaay.
This experience taught me that small-batch kimchi making is (as my 5-year old would say) easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy. Also, that kimchi is truly the King of Banchan (honestly, when you’re too busy/lazy to cook anything, rice + kimchi offers quick satiation. Also that an overload of kimchi will put you off kimchi for a week.
I know people enjoy kimchifying other common veg in North America like Bok Choy or regular Western cabbage, but we don’t tend to enjoy those as much.
How about you? What’s your fave kimchi veg?
