Korean Fresh Cabbage Kimchi
Quick answer
- Total time
- 20 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Napa cabbage salted for just 20 minutes and tossed straight into a gochugaru dressing gives kimchi with no sourness at all: the red pepper heat and the savory anchovy fish sauce come through cleanly.
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The short salting bends the thick ribs slightly while keeping them much crisper than fermented kimchi. Sesame oil and sesame seeds are added at the very end, so a nutty aroma sits over the chili. Geotjeori, as this fresh style is called in Korea, is served alongside grilled pork belly or doenjang-jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew), and it fills in when the jar of aged kimchi runs empty. It is best right after mixing, and leftovers keep a day or two chilled.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Trim the base from half a head of napa cabbage and cut it into large 4 to 5 cm pieces.
Place the thicker stems and leafy pieces together in a wide bowl so the seasoning later reaches both textures evenly.
- 2
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt evenly over the cabbage and turn it gently by hand.
Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, until the stems bend slightly but the pieces still feel crisp.
- 3
Take the salted cabbage by the handful and press it firmly with both hands to squeeze out released moisture.
Do not crush the leaves; stop when the surface is no longer wet enough to dilute the seasoning.
- 4
In another bowl, combine 3 teaspoons red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons anchovy fish sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes a thick, glossy seasoning paste.
- 5
Add the drained cabbage and 2 sliced green onion stalks to the seasoning.
Toss from the bottom upward with your hands, separating the layers so the red paste coats between the leaves without breaking their crisp structure.
- 6
Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, then toss only once to avoid bruising the cabbage.
Taste for balance, transfer to a serving dish, and serve right away while the texture is crisp.
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