Description
Homemade napa-cabbage kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented dish made with napa cabbage, seasonings, and spices. It’s spicy, tangy, and packed with probiotics.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large napa cabbage (about 2 lbs)
- 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 small daikon radish, julienned
Instructions
- Cut the napa cabbage into quarters lengthwise.
- Dissolve salt in water and soak the cabbage for 2 hours, turning every 30 minutes.
- Rinse the cabbage thoroughly under cold water and drain.
- Mix ginger, garlic, sugar, gochugaru, fish sauce, green onions, and radish in a bowl.
- Spread the paste between each cabbage leaf.
- Pack the kimchi tightly into a clean jar, pressing down to remove air bubbles.
- Leave 1-2 inches of headspace and seal the jar loosely.
- Ferment at room temperature for 1-5 days, burping the jar daily.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use gloves when handling gochugaru to prevent skin irritation.
- Fermentation time depends on your taste preference – shorter for mild, longer for tangy.
- Bubbles during fermentation are normal.
- Kimchi will continue to develop flavor in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Fermentation
- Cuisine: Korean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 15
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: kimchi, napa cabbage, fermented, Korean, spicy, probiotic