Homemade Kimchi Recipe 총각김치 (Chonggak Kimchi)

My first recipe will be of course Kimchi (김치)!  There are many types of kimchi but one of my many favorites is Chonggak Kimchi (총각김치).  A delicious small white radish with long stems/leaves.

*Disclaimer I do not generally measure when I cook but I will do my best to give you the most accurate measurements for how I make my food.  Feel free to add a touch more of garlic or pepper if you like your food spicy like me! 

INGREDIENTS: 

Chonggakmu (about 4-5 bundles)

Salt (sea salt)

Onion (half of a medium onion- freshly blended)

Green Onion (4-5 stalks)

Garlic (about 14 cloves garlic- freshly minced)

Flour 1/4 cup (or if you want to cheat-  1 cup cooked rice &1 cup water)

Honey powder or sugar (2 tbsp)

Fish sauce (1/4 cup) *I use the one with the little crabs on the bottle*

Hot red pepper flakes (2 cups)

DIRECTIONS: 

Preparing the radishes:

Using any kitchen peeler you have a home, peel the radishes while keeping the green stems attached. Cut off any dead/yellowed leaves.  Cut the radishes (as well as the stems) in half vertically and if they are large enough you can cut them into 4 pieces.  Once all radishes are trimmed place them in a large basin and rinse a few times especially the stems so there is no dirt left.  Drain the radishes and while in the basin sprinkle with sea salt (roughly 1/2 cup) and let it sit.  After 30 mins lightly toss the radishes to make sure they are evenly salted and let sit for another 30 mins.  While the radishes sit in the salt bath you can begin making the sauce

Preparing the Kimchi Sauce:

**You have 2 options for the paste portion of the sauce; option 1- what your mom traditionally makes & option 2- the quicker easier version “cheat” version.

Option 1: Mix ¼ cup flour and 2 cups of water in a pot and heat over medium heat.
Stir until the mixture thickens.  When you start to see some bubbles, add 2 tbs sugar and stir for about another minute.   Remove from the heat and let it fully cool before you use it in the sauce.

Option 2: The short cut!  I use my nutri-bullet but you can use any standard blender.  Take 1 cup of cooked white rice and 1 cup of water, blend until you get a smooth consistency.  Slowly add more water if you see that the mixture is too thick.  Should be smooth, not too thick or runny.    

Chop the stalks of green onion at a slant and set aside.  Transfer the cooled porridge to a large basin/bowl.  Add the minced garlic, blended onion, 2 cups of hot pepper flakes, ¼ cup fish sauce, and the chopped green onions.  Using your hands (wear rubber gloves you will thank me the next day) mix well.  Then add the radishes and toss making sure it’s evenly covered.

Transfer the kimchi to a glass jar or container (I wrap the stems around the body of the radish before placing them in jar for easy eating and presentation).  Keep outside the fridge at room temperature for a couple of days before transferring to the refrigerator.  You can begin to eat and enjoy or if you prefer your kimchi more fermented wait a few more days.

Depending on your taste buds you can add more or less of the ingredients and play with it to make it your own!  Let me know how your kimchi turns out!

YUM.