Recipe courtesy of Esther Choi
Recipe courtesy of Esther Choi
Watch how to make this recipe.
Mak Kimchi
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 4 days (includes brining and fermenting times)
- Active: 30 min
- Yield: 2 quarts
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 16 servings
- Calories
- 24
- Total Fat
- 0 g
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Protein
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Sodium
- 235 mg
This kimchi is your gateway to fermentation. If you’re going to make only one kimchi from my book, Hand Taste: Cook Like a Korean Grandmother, this is the recipe to make. I developed this recipe for two reasons: so I could have a batch of kimchi ready to eat in a few days and so I could make it in small spaces, including tiny apartments in New York City, without it taking over. “Mak” loosely translates to imperfect or haphazard, but I prefer to think of it as “effortless.” You don’t have to be a kimchi expert to make a batch of kimchi you’ll be proud of. What makes it different from traditional pogi kimchi is that the napa cabbage is chopped before it’s fermented, which makes the fermenting step go faster. This also means mak kimchi doesn’t keep for as many months as pogi kimchi, but when it gets overripe, it’s perfect for kimchi hot sauce. There’s about 30 minutes of busy work required to make this kimchi, stretched out over time. Factor in 1 hour for the cabbage to brine and drain, 2 days to ferment at room temperature and 1 day to ferment in the refrigerator. Have your largest bowl or pot ready to fit the chopped cabbage as it brines (at least 16-cup capacity). You’ll also need a blender or food processor (a mini one works well), rubber gloves for mixing the kimchi and 2 glass quart jars.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 4 days (includes brining and fermenting times)
- Active: 30 min
- Yield: 2 quarts
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 16 servings
- Calories
- 24
- Total Fat
- 0 g
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Protein
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Sodium
- 235 mg
Ingredients
Cabbage:
Kimchi Paste:
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Directions
- For the cabbage: Peel away and discard any damaged outer cabbage leaves. Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise through the core. Cut each half into quarters lengthwise, then slice the quarters crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces. You should have pieces of cabbage small enough to be picked up with chopsticks, but no smaller.
- Brine the cabbage: In the base of a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the salt and 1 cup water until the salt is mostly dissolved. Add the cabbage and mix with the salted water. Sprinkle the cabbage with the remaining 2 tablespoons salt, then mix the salt into the cabbage with your hands, scrunching the pieces so everything is coated in salty water. Press the cabbage down firmly in an even layer and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Mix the cabbage again, scooping all the way from the base, to redistribute the salty water. Press the cabbage down again firmly and let sit for 30 more minutes. Continue the same process 2 more times, for a total of 2 hours brining time. Over time, the cabbage will soften and the bowl will not be as brimming.
- Drain the cabbage: Put a colander in the sink, drain the cabbage and rinse well under cool running water. Taste a piece of cabbage. It should taste seasoned but not too salty. (If it’s really salty, soak it in cold water for 15 to 30 minutes, then drain and rinse again.) While the cabbage is still in the colander, thoroughly press down and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel to remove excess water. Leave the cabbage in the colander to drain further while you make the paste. Rinse and dry the large bowl and keep handy for mixing the kimchi.
- For the kimchi paste: In a small saucepan, whisk together the rice flour, sugar and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking constantly, until it turns white and is thick enough to coat the whisk, 1 to 2 minutes. (This is the “glue” that helps the seasonings stick to the cabbage.) Let cool to warm room temperature.
- In a blender or food processor, blend the pear, onion, fish sauce, ginger and garlic, stopping to scrape down the sides with a flexible spatula as needed, until smooth. Scrape the purée into the large bowl and stir in the gochugaru and cooled rice paste until smooth.
- Mix the kimchi: Put on a pair of rubber gloves. Add the cabbage and scallions to the large bowl and mix in the paste, scrunching the cabbage with your hands, until the seasonings are thoroughly incorporated.
- Ferment the kimchi: Divide the kimchi between 2 quart jars. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the kimchi, making sure it’s completely covered and not exposed to air, then cover with the lids the jars came with. Let the jars sit in a dark place at a cool room temperature for 2 days. Once a day, open the jars to “burp” them (let out some fermentation gas). Remove the plastic wrap and stir the cabbage well, redistributing the seasonings, then return the plastic wrap, pressing down on the cabbage to get rid of any air pockets, and cap the jar. On day 3, refrigerate the jars for at least 1 day before eating to develop the tangy fermented flavor.
- Once fermented, mak kimchi keeps in the same jars in the refrigerator for up to 2 months, though it’s best within the first month.
