Korean Kimchi (With 8 variations and 4 ways to use it)

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I’ve put off writing about Kimchi — even though I adore it in all its funky fermented glory — because it never felt very Simple and Straightforward-friendly. There are some weird ingredients in here that you might only ever use for making Kimchi and the recipe isn’t hugely flexible.

But — and it’s a big but — if you try making this recipe and like the results, those odd ingredients (there are only two of them and they can be substituted) will disappear faster than you can say hoo boy that’s some damn fine Kimchi.

And I’ve got 4 tasty recipes for how to use it — and the internet will provide you with scores more.

For those not in the know, Kimchi is white cabbage fermented with Korean chilli flakes, ginger, garlic and onion. It’s kinda like sauerkraut’s loud, slightly obnoxious, fun and slightly unpredictable cousin.

The fermentation starts after a couple of days and you can keep the stuff for around 2-3 weeks depending on how strong you like the flavors. I warn you though, back when I wasn’t lugging my life around in a suitcase, a pot would never last more than a week, it was too moreish.

Here’s my tried and tested recipe courtesy of the excellent Lizzie Mabbott aka recipe author Hollow Legs.

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Makes one large Kilner jar

Key: Bold = Capsule Pantry ingredients

1 whole cabbage (ideally Chinese leaf cabbage but a small white cabbage works well too) chopped into bite-sized pieces

2-3 tbsp fine table salt

Thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 apple, peeled and grated

3-4 spring onions chopped into 2-3cm/1inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ onion, finely chopped

125ml / ½ cup water

30g / scant 1/4 cup glutinous rice flour (available online or in Asian supermarkets)

60ml / 1/4 cup light soy sauce

55g / generous 1/2 cup Korean red chilli powder “Gochugaru” (available online or in Asian supermarkets)

Place the chopped cabbage into a colander, sprinkle with the table salt and leave to drip for 2-3 hours. Regularly turn and scrunch with your hands a bit to help release the water.

After 2-3 hours, rinse the salt off with fresh water and then dry the cabbage in a salad spinner if you have one, or on a paper towel if not.

Wash then sterilise a 1.5L/3pint Kilner jar with boiling water (Fill with water, leave for 5 minutes before emptying — carefully — into the sink. Leave to cool while you prepare the Kimchi).

Put the cabbage into a big bowl with the spring onion, onion, ginger, garlic and mix.

Place the water and glutinous rice flour into a saucepan over a medium heat, continually stirring as it comes to the boil. The mixture will become thick and sticky. Once it starts to boil and has thickened, turn off the heat and it leave to cool - about 30-40 minutes.

Once cool, add the apple, soy and chilli flakes. Stir until well mixed.

Add this chilli mixture to the cabbage mixture and stir well.

Empty the Kimchi into the Kilner jar, making sure there is plenty of space at the top. You don’t want exploding Kimchi! Leave in a not-too-cool-but-not-too-hot place to start fermenting. The fridge = too cold. Right by the radiator = too hot. Warmish room temperature = just right.

After 24 hours, “burp” your Kimchi by releasing the lid and letting out the gas. Over a few days - usually 2-4, it will become bubbly and will require burping at least once a day. Make sure you do this otherwise the pressure can build whilst the fermentation is happening.

After about 3 days it will be good to eat but you can keep this funky little jar of goodness for a few weeks. The longer you leave it, the funkier and more flavorful it gets. I used to leave it on the shelf but you can also put it in the fridge to slow down the development of those flavors.

Dietary restrictions

Kimchi is vegetarian-friendly and nut, gluten, and dairy free.

The cabbage

I’ve made Kimchi with kale, carrots, beetroot tops, savoy cabbage, brussels sprouts… Name a brassica and it can be fermented into Kimchi. I’ll admit however that I like the texture and flavor of Chinese leaf cabbage best.

The glutinous rice flour mixture

I like the glutinous rice flour and water mixture because it acts like a supercharger for the apple, ensuring the fermentations happen evenly and quickly in the jar. But I have made Kimchi without it - and certainly, not all traditional recipes call for it. If you find it hard to source, leave it out.

The soy sauce

Original recipes call for fish sauce - in particular, Korean fish sauce. I used to make mine with Thai fish sauce but my husband hated it in there and it did make the Kimchi funkier. Soy sauce also makes it vegetarian, which is a win in my book.

The chilli flakes

The first time I made Kimchi I used Thai dried chilli flakes which worked pretty well, but they were so hot I had to minimize how many I used which made the Kimchi look and feel a bit anemic. But you can absolutely use different chilli flakes if you want. Experiment for spiciness.

The Gochugaru flakes are mild so you can use a lot more. They’re my go-to now - you can also use them in other cooking where spice is required, so they don’t go to waste (but as I say, if you get a taste for Kimchi, you’ll go through bags of the stuff).

Kimchi recipes

Kimchi and cheese toasties

Good Lord these are delicious. Just add Kimchi to your usual grilled cheese sandwich (make sure the cheese is tangy and mature) for a taste explosion.

Kimchi rice bowl

My go-to lunch when Kimchi is in town.

Heat a wok with some oil. Stick in some Kimchi - I like about 2 large tablespoons per person. Cook for a few minutes. Take leftover cold rice (or make it from scratch a few hours before and cool it down) and put it in with the Kimchi. Fry for a few minutes longer, throw in a splash of soy sauce, turn out into a bowl, and devour. Top with a fried egg if you’re feeling fancy.

Kimchi baked egg

Take a spoonful of creme fraiche and smear it into the bottom of a small ramekin. Add a spoonful of Kimchi on top. Crack an egg on that. Dot the egg whites with a few more small spoonfuls of creme fraiche. Season. Bake in a 180C/350F oven for 10 minutes or until the egg whites are done but the yolk is still soft.

Sounds weird but totally and utterly delicious - and my breakfast many a morning.

Kimchi dumplings

Mix equal parts of finely chopped Kimchi and pork mince (or chopped firm tofu for a veggie option). Spoon into dumpling wrappers (bought or make your own), pinch together and place on a board sprinkled with polenta (this was the best tip I ever received for avoiding your dumplings sticking to a surface).

Heat up a large non-stick frying pan with a lid with some oil on a medium-high heat. Place your dumplings in there and fry the bottoms for around 2-3 minutes or until they’re golden (carefully check every so often). Stand back and pour water into the pan - about 1/4 inch will be enough. Be careful, it’ll spit with the oil. Put the lid on, turn down to a simmer and steam in the water for approximately 10 minutes (for larger dumplings, go for 12 minutes or until the pork is cooked). Top up with water if it disappears.