Kimchi

Kimchi Recipes

163 recipes. Page 2 of 7

Kimchi and Korean pickle recipes

Korean Chamnamul Kimchi (Pimpinella Kimchi)

Chamnamul greens are salted for just 10 minutes and dressed without rinsing, letting the leftover salt season them. A gentle squeeze is enough, since wringing bruises the tender leaves and makes them slump during fermentation. Blended Korean pear and onion in the sweet rice paste round off the chili heat. With so much moisture in the greens, fermentation moves fast and the kimchi softens if kept too long. Small batches eaten within a few days work best.

Prep 30min Cook 5min 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Melon Pickle (Korean Melon Soy Vinegar Brine)

Firm Korean melon, sliced into thin half-moons, keeps a cool sweetness under the salty, tangy soy brine. Fully ripe melon goes soft in the jar, so hard fruit is the one to buy.

Prep 20min Cook 12min 4 servings

Kimchi Medium

Korean Cheonggak Kimchi (Seaweed Kimchi)

Cheonggak, a branching green seaweed, gives this radish kimchi a firm, almost crunchy chew and a marine aroma that land-vegetable kimchi lacks. Half the paste is massaged into the julienned radish first so it seasons evenly; the seaweed joins the remaining paste and is tossed quickly, because long handling toughens it. A day in the fridge lets the seaweed's salinity merge with the fish sauce paste, and the briny result sits naturally beside seafood and mild rice soups.

At least 1 day 10 min 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Pickled Bok Choy (Soy Vinegar Chili Brine)

Thick white bok choy stems stay crunchy while the green leaves soak up the brine and soften, so one piece holds two textures. Cheongyang chilies are sliced with their seeds and layered through the jar, leaving a clean, lingering heat in every stem. The ginger comes out after a 2-minute rest so its scent stays faint. Well-drained heads keep the brine clear, and turning them once after two days evens out the seasoning.

Prep 20min Cook 8min 4 servings

Kimchi Medium

Korean Bok Choy Kimchi (Gochugaru Fermented Quick)

Bok choy makes a lighter, crunchier kimchi than napa cabbage, ready to eat within a day. The salt goes mainly on the thick stems, and 20 minutes is the limit before the stems toughen. The halves drain thoroughly in a sieve after rinsing, because leftover water thins the paste until it slides off the leaves. Blending the salted shrimp and fish sauce into the sweet rice paste first makes the seasoning easy to spread thinly between leaves. Julienned carrot and scallions add color and a varied bite. After 4 hours at room temperature it moves to the fridge.

Prep 35min 0 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Cheongyang Gochu Doenjang Jangajji (Doenjang Pickled Cheongyang Peppers)

Laid on a spoonful of hot rice, one of these peppers delivers salty, funky soybean paste and lingering heat in a single bite. Pricking each Cheongyang chili all over with a fork lets the doenjang brine reach the inside instead of sitting on the skin.

Prep 18min Cook 8min 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Chicken Mu (Korean Fried Chicken Radish Pickle)

The sweet-sour radish cubes that come with Korean fried chicken are easy to make at home, and their crunch depends on the brine temperature. Pouring the brine only once the pot no longer feels warm keeps the radish firm and snappy. Even 2 cm cubes season at the same rate, and a jar dried completely after sterilizing keeps stray water from diluting the brine. Chilled for a day, it has an acidity that clears the palate between pieces of fried chicken; use clean tongs and finish it within about a week.

Prep 10min Cook 5min 4 servings

Kimchi Medium

Korean Ponytail Radish Kimchi

Ponytail radishes go into the kimchi whole, greens and all, and after a day at room temperature they bite back with a fizzy tang. Long greens turn tough, so they are trimmed short first.

Prep 60min 0 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Aster Leaf Soy Pickle

Ten seconds in boiling water is all the aster leaves get, just enough to relax the tough stems while their sharp, faintly bitter mountain-herb scent survives into the jar. Sliced garlic and one dried chili sit between the layers, so the soy-vinegar brine picks up a quiet bite rather than real heat. In Korea this is a spring side dish: lay a leaf over a spoonful of rice, or chop it fine and tuck it into a rice ball.

Prep 16min Cook 10min 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Pickled Green Onion

Two days in a soy and vinegar brine take the raw sting out of large green onions and leave only their mellow onion fragrance behind. The recipe leans on the white and pale green sections, which stay crisp after pickling.

At least 2 days 26 min 4 servings

Kimchi Medium

Cut Green Onion Kimchi (Daepa Kimchi)

Long 6 to 7 cm lengths of green onion get a coat of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and anchovy fish sauce, and every bite carries the onion's sharpness together with salty, fermented depth. Glutinous rice paste holds that seasoning on the smooth onion surface. Without it, the paste would slide to the bottom of the container as the kimchi ripens. It goes beside pork belly or boiled pork, or folded into a lettuce wrap, and it is a good way to use up a bundle of older green onions.

Prep 25min Cook 5min 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Wild Chive Pickle (Spring Chive Soy Brine)

The soy and vinegar brine goes into the jar only after it has cooled completely, because wild chives lose their sharp, garlicky bite quickly when heated. After one day in the fridge the pickle is ready to eat, and by the third day the brine has reached the small bulbs and the flavor turns rounder and deeper. Slices of hot green chili and a scattering of sesame give it an edge, and it is at its best next to grilled meat in spring, when dallae is in season.

Prep 15min Cook 8min 2 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Wild Chive Kimchi (Spring Quick Gochugaru)

Wild chive stems should only just bend after salting, which takes eight minutes and leaves their green, oniony scent intact. The roots are left long because the root end carries the aroma this kimchi depends on.

Prep 20min Cook 5min 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Soy-Vinegar Carrot Pickles

Carrot brings its own sweetness to this soy and vinegar pickle, so each bite reads as three clear notes: sweet, salty and sour. Cutting the sticks to an even 0.5 cm keeps every piece pickling at the same speed, which is what gives the jar a uniform crunch. Onion, whole garlic and a halved Cheongyang chili (a hot Korean green pepper) season the brine. The jar is ready after about 24 hours in the fridge and works as a sharp, crunchy foil to fatty grilled meat.

At least 1 day 4 servings

Kimchi Medium

Korean Vinegared Bellflower Root Pickle

No soy sauce goes into this pickle: deodeok, a mountain root prized for its fragrance, sits in vinegar, sugar and salt alone, leaving its own aroma in front. Pounding the split roots flat with the back of a knife loosens the dense fibers and lets the brine work its way between them, and a day of chilling turns the texture pleasantly chewy. Chili flakes and sesame oil go on only at serving time, which keeps the red bright, and the dish is served cold.

Prep 25min Cook 8min 2 servings

Kimchi Medium

Korean Pickled Deodeok Root

Pouring the soy brine over deodeok while it is still hot sets the outside of the root quickly and leaves the center firm and chewy. A short soak in lightly salted water first draws out the root's raw, astringent edge, and splitting each root only in half keeps enough thickness to stand up to the heat. Garlic and ginger simmer in the brine, layering a sharp warmth over the strong root fragrance. Give it at least 3 days in the fridge before serving with rice.

At least 3 days 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Sedum Water Kimchi

Chili flakes stirred into the brine and never strained out leave flecks of red through the pale, cool broth of this clear spring water kimchi. Shredded Korean pear sweetens the liquid gently, and 8 to 12 hours at room temperature give it a light, refreshing tang. Sedum, a small succulent spring green, gets only a quick swish in cold water, since long washing makes it grassy. It joins the jar last and is folded rather than pressed so its tiny leaves stay crisp. Because the ferment is short, the broth and greens are best eaten cold within a day or two, ladled over rice.

Prep 505min Cook 10min 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Dongchimi Radish Water Kimchi

As dongchimi ferments, the clear brine around chunks of radish turns cool, tangy and faintly fizzy, with a soft fruitiness from pear and a clean finish from ginger. The radish is cut large, 4 to 5 cm, because small pieces go soft once the kimchi ripens, and a firm, medium-sized radish holds up better than a small one. Keeping every piece under the brine stops stray microbes, and the jar moves to the fridge once small bubbles appear. In winter the chilled broth becomes a base for cold noodles or is ladled alongside rich, fatty meat. Strained, the ripe broth tastes cleaner, and it keeps refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks.

Prep 35min 0 4 servings

Kimchi Medium

Korean Bellflower Root Pickles

Bellflower root (doraji) carries a pronounced bitterness, tamed by rubbing the roots hard with salt until sticky foam appears and then rinsing several times. The roots are torn by hand into thin strips; thinner strips take the brine faster, but crumbled pieces lose their chew. Ginger steeps in the hot soy brine for 10 minutes and is lifted out, leaving only its scent. The pickle is ready after 2 days of cold storage and is not meant to sit at room temperature.

At least 2 days 13 min 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Wariboshi Daikon Harihari-zuke

Thick split-dried daikon softens slowly in a sweet soy-vinegar brine yet keeps a firm, crackling bite. In Miura, Kanagawa, families traditionally split winter daikon lengthwise into sixteen to twenty sections and sun-dried it for about two weeks, leaving pieces much chunkier than finely shredded dried radish. The radish is only rinsed twice in cold water to remove dust. Soaking it beforehand weakens the firm texture that should come back in the brine. Kombu and dried squid bring savory depth, and seeded dried chili adds heat to the whole jar. The centers are seasoned from day 4, and the jar is finished within 10 days.

Prep 30min Cook 5min 5 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Aralia Shoot Soy Pickle

Aralia shoots, the spring buds Koreans call durup, go into this pickle raw so the stems keep their snap and their woody, slightly bitter aroma. The brine leans on soy sauce rather than vinegar, since too much acid would bury that fragrance. Garlic and hot green chili leave a sharp finish, and a brief 20-second blanch is an option for anyone who finds the bitterness strong. Kept submerged and chilled, it lasts about 2 weeks and suits rice or a lettuce wrap with grilled meat.

Prep 20min Cook 15min 4 servings

Kimchi Medium

Korean Young Napa Kimchi (Spring Cabbage Quick Ferment)

Young spring napa cabbage (eolgari) soaks up seasoning quickly through its thin leaves and tender stems and turns pleasantly sour by the next day. That speed cuts both ways: 20 to 30 minutes of salting is plenty, and longer turns the stems tough. The stems are a better signal than the clock: the cabbage is turned once midway, and salting stops as soon as they bend slightly. Salted shrimp and fish sauce fill in savory depth that a short ferment would otherwise lack, while glutinous rice paste helps the chili seasoning cling to every leaf. Koreans make this lighter kimchi in spring, when aged winter kimchi starts to feel heavy.

Prep 40min Cook 10min 4 servings

Kimchi Medium

Yukina Fusube-zuke

Snow-grown yukina dipped into boiling water three times, for only three seconds each, develops a sharp, mustard-like pungency that the slightly bitter raw greens lack. Fusuberu is a local word in Okitama, Yamagata, for a brief scald. Lord Uesugi Yozan is said to have encouraged the crop so the snowy region would have winter greens, and under the snow the bundled plants feed on their own leaves to grow pale flower stalks. It is a short pickle: three days pressed and chilled, then eaten within a week while the aroma lasts.

Prep 35min Cook 5min 4 servings

Kimchi Easy

Korean Soy-Pickled Eggplant

Cold, soft eggplant soaked in a sweet-sour soy brine, with garlic and a little hot chili running through it, makes a chilled side dish rather than a long-keeping preserve. The eggplant is cut into thick lengthwise quarters because its tender flesh collapses easily, and thick pieces still hold their shape after blanching. Absorbing the brine takes a full day of chilling, too long for same-day cooking, and the jar stays refrigerated rather than on the shelf.

Prep 1460min Cook 8min 4 servings