Hi everybody,
I’m introducing “mak-kimchi” to you today! It’s made with napa cabbage (baechu in Korean), pre-cut into bite size pieces, so you can serve it without cutting. This way of making kimchi is really time saving compared to making whole cabbage kimchi. But the taste is exactly the same as whole cabbage kimchi because the ingredients are the same! So I am translating “mak-kimchi” into “easy kimchi.” I hope this recipe makes your life easier! : )
Since I posted my whole cabbage kimchi recipe in June 2007, so many people have surprised me with their kimchi related stories and questions. A lot of my readers make their own kimchi on a regular basis and they email me the photos of their delicious kimchi! Some people modify the recipe to their taste and some people add more ingredients to invent their own kimchi!
For example, Julie made vegan kimchi. She skipped fish sauce and used a little soy sauce and salt instead. Smart! Isn’t it? Some people like Reinier, James, Sylvia, Clyde, Sara make kimchi on a regular basis. They say, “oh, my kimchi runs out, I will make it this weekend.” If any of you reading this might want to be included the list of people who make kimchi on a regular basis, please email me. I will include your names here. : )
I’m surprised to see all these mouth-watering looking kimchi photos!
But as you know, the kimchi recipe was not using exact measurements. You remember? I said, “use 2 medium napa cabbage and 2 radishes.” The size of cabbage is actually huge by American standards! ; ) And the amount of kimchi paste you need to make is for both cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi. Some people only want to make only cabbage kimchi. They sometimes ask me, “Maangchi, can you tell me how much salt do I have to use for only 1 napa cabbage?”
How can I know?
I didn’t measure when I filmed the first video recipe years ago. : ) Anyway, whenever I was asked the similar questions, I felt kind of bad and a little bit guilty and I always thought I should post a more accurate kimchi recipe.
Here you go! : )
So this recipe will be for a total beginner. Just follow the recipe step by step. This recipe is mine that I have been using for my kimchi for decades and popular among even my Korean friends.
If you want to use whole cabbage kimchi, you can check my whole cabbage kimchi recipe and this easy kimchi recipe, then you will figure out what to do. Only difference is how to handle cabbage: cutting , salting, and how to put or mix the kimchi paste with the cabbage!
Did you see how many questions and answers were made for my whole cabbage kimchi? So far 831 comments! These questions are the most frequently asked, so I’m letting you know this.
FAQ
Q: Maangchi, do I have to make porridge to make kimchi? If I don’t want to use porridge, what shall I do?
A: No, you don’t have to. Some people don’t use porridge, but I always make porridge to make good kimchi paste. Porridge helps hot pepper flakes, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and all spices mix together. Otherwise, the kimchi paste will be too thick to put it between cabbage leaves easily. So you can use sweet pear juice instead of making porridge if you want. I sometimes use pear to make kimchi paste, too.
Q: Why do you give a shower to the cabbage before salting? : )
A: If you sprinkle salt on cabbage directly without pre-soaking in water, the salting process will take too long: this is “osmotic pressure.”
Q: Maangchi, kimchi never goes bad? How come there is some white stuff on the top of my kimchi?
A: If you keep your kimchi properly, it won’t go bad months and months. Don’t forget to press down the top of kimchi in the container with a spoon whenever you take some. It will prevent your kimchi from being exposed to air. If you see the top of your kimchi already has white stuff (mold), remove the top layer of the kimchi and you still can eat the rest of the kimchi.
Q: Maangchi, you used squid this time! Last time your kimchi was made with raw oysters! My other Korean friends never use oysters or squid.
A: Kimchi recipes vary from region to region, so some ingredients will be different. You can follow a few different recipes and choose the best recipe that suits your taste.
Q: I’m interested in adding raw oysters or squid in my Kimchi, but afraid that it might go bad so that I may have a stomachache.
A: You should use very fresh oysters or fresh frozen product, then it will ferment along with your kimchi.
Q: Ok, Maangchi, can you tell me how to make the salty squid for kimchi?
A: Choose about 300 grams (2/3 pound) of very fresh squid. Then:
- Remove the guts and backbone and rinse it.
- Add 3 tbs salt and mix it with a spoon.
- Put it in a container or glass jar and keep it in the refrigerator for a week.
- Rinse the squid thoroughly until not slippery and drain it (you can skin it if you want).
- Dry the squid with paper towel or cotton and chop it up.
- Add it to your kimchi paste!
I answer many other frequently asked questions about kinchi-making in this video:
Ingredients
Baechu (napa cabbage 10 pounds), salt, sweet rice flour, sugar, water, garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce, squid, hot pepper flakes, leek, green onions, carrot, radish.
Directions
- Trim the discolored outer leaves of 10 pounds of napa cabbage.
- Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Chop it up into bite size pieces.
- Soak the pieces of cabbage in cold water and put the soaked cabbage into a large basin. Sprinkle salt.
*tip: 1 cup of salt will be used for 10 pounds of napa cabbage
- Every 30 minutes, turn the cabbage over to salt evenly (total salting time will be 1½ hours).
- 1½ hours later, rinse the cabbage in cold water 3 times to clean it thoroughly.
- Drain the cabbage and set aside.
Make porridge:
- Put 3 cups of water and ½ cup sweet rice flour (chapssal garu) in a pot and mix it well and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the porridge makes bubbles (about 5 minutes).
- Add ¼ cup sugar. Stir and cook for a few more mintues until it’s translucent.
- Cool it down.
Make kimchi paste:
- Place the cold porridge into a large bowl. Now you will add all your ingredients one by one.
- Add 1 cup of fish sauce, 2.5 cups of hot pepper flakes (depending on your taste), 1 cup of crushed garlic, 1-2 tbs of minced ginger, 1 cup amount of minced onion.
*tip: much easier to use a food processor.
- Wash and drain the salty squid. Chop it up and add it to the kimchi paste.
*tip: how to prepare salty squid is posted on the FAQ above!
- Add 10 diagonally-sliced green onions, 2 cups amount of chopped leek, 2 cups of julienned Korean radish, and ¼ cup of julienned carrot.
- Mix all ingredients well and your kimchi paste is done.
Action! Mix the cabbage with the kimchi paste!
- Put the kimchi paste in a large basin and add all the cabbage. Mix it by hand.
*tip: If your basin is not large enough to mix all the ingredients at once, do it bit by bit. 
- Put the kimchi into an air-tight sealed plastic container or glass jar.
You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it’s fermented.
I usually put all my kimchi in the fridge except for a little bit in a small container. I like fresh kimchi, so this way the kimchi in the fridge ferments slowly and stays fresh, while the smaller container ferments faster and gets sour. I use this sour kimchi for making things like kimchi jjigae where sour kimchi is better. Then, when the small container is empty, I fill it up again with kimchi from the big container. It takes a little management, but experiment and you’ll get the hang of it!
How do you know it’s fermented or not?
One or 2 days after, open the lid of the Kimchi container. You may see some bubbles with lots of liquids, or maybe sour smells. That means it’s already being fermented.
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Hi Maangchi. I hope you can answer this question.
The last time I went to my local Korean market to purchase ingredients for mak kimchi, I couldn’t pass up a package of radish kimchi that the ladies make. (I was so hungry and ate my fill in the car!) The Korean ladies there make all kinds of great kimchi, pancakes, salads, all the good stuff!
So, I then went home and made my batch of kimchi, and since I had juice left over from the store-bought, I put about a tablespoon of the sauce in each of my 8 quart mason jars. In just a few days the kimchi was bubbling and over-flowing the jars! It was so carbonated it was like “eating” a cola! My question is, do you know, as a Korean “insider” if the people who make fermented kimchi for sale in the markets use a starter culture, like a packet of lactobacillus and other cultures? My kimchi has never, never been so well-fermented than this last time when I added juice from “their” kimchi. Take care! Love you!
Hi maangchi, I really love ur recipes.
Well I have a question, can I using korean hot pepper paste for making kimichi ?
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No, you should use hot pepper flakes when you make kimchi. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredient/hot-pepper-flakes
I just used this recipe, and, even fresh, it’s better than the store-bought kimchi! Maangchi, is there a name for the spicy paste that is used to season the cabbage? I made twice as much as I need, so I have a container full of it in the fridge! Does it ever go bad?
Hi Maangchi!!
I can’t get any squid but I have some beautiful fresh butter clams I just harvested. Do you think I could substitute clam meat for the squid in recipe??
Thank you :)
Hi Maangchi, I really love your recipes. Well I have a question, how many people can this serve?
Maangchi. Is there any alternatives for the porridge besides sweet rice flour? In one of the comments you wrote pear juice. Must the pear juice be filtered from the whole blended pear? Can I add whole blended pear in it? What about using plain flour for the porridge? It’s going to be my first time attempting to make kimchi so Im quite nervous :’)
In her “traditional kimchi” video, she said you can use plain flour instead.
I made this recipe twice and the second time came out the best ! I love it, thank you Maangchi !
tip : it looks great in a glass jar ~ :-D
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Maangchi, I made it. Omitted the squid, because it’s quite hard to find and expensive here in Poland but still it’s incredibly delicious! It’s better than any store bought and restaurant one I had before. I love you Maangchi!
Hi maangchi. I’ve been using your recipe for about 4 years now. Thank you for putting up a detailed recipe. I used cencaluk (local fermented shrimp) in my recipes and it taste so good! Never buy kimchi again.
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Hello, Maangchi!
Thanks for this recipes!
okay, I have a question: is it possible not to use ginger?
Yes, you can skip ginger. It will still turn out delicious.
Hi manngchi
Put 3 cups of water means how many cc or ml water ?
Go on the recipe site
scroll down
use the conversion table…
Bye, Sanne.
I love your recipes Maangchi!! Thanks for sharing them all. Can I use frozen squid for the salty squid? Would you defrost before salting? Thanks!!!
Yes, you can use frozen squid. Thaw them out in the fridge before cleaning and salting.
Made it yesterday. Had to cut the recipe in half because its too much kimchi for one person lol. Tasted the fresh kimchi. It was too spicy and saucy for me. Tried it today. Spiciness tone done but still saucy but still good. Actually very good. Question. Can i make it a sweeter version like how Korean Grill in Toronto make it or will it spoil if i put more sugar (more than the recipe).
Thanks.
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Hi. Im new here. Can i add dried squid or dried shrimp instead of fresh one when making kimchi? I wonder if i can boil the dried squid and add it, do you think it will spoil the whole kimchi? Btw, i made your spicy eggplant side dish and spicy pork stir fry. Soooo delish!
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks.
Just skip it.
You need some fish sauce or shrimp sauce or soy sauce as a starter, but you don’t need fresh seafood in it. Mine turns out great without.
Bye, Sanne.
Hi Maangchi
Today I made this Kimchi for the third time in a month. My previous 2 batches didn’t have the chance to be fermented and it’s all gone in the stomach We all love this recipe and we have Kimchi as our side dish for dinner every day. Thank you. I have one question, my Kimchi did not turn sour at all… May I know what must I do to get the Kimchi fermented before I store in the fridge? In Malaysia our room temperature will be around 28°c to 32 °c.
Appreciate if you could share some tips. Thanks.
Dear Maangchi, I just found your site, and I am SO excited to try your recipes! I can’t wait to make this mak-kimchi. It’s been a few years since I have made a quick kimchi, and about 20 years since I’ve made the properly fermented kind. So I’m very excited to try it – with Julie’s soy sauce twist, as I am a vegetarian.
My question is more cultural than it is about cooking per se. I have been a vegetarian for 30+ years, and happily ate kimchi for the first several years of that before learning it often contains fish sauce. (So disappointing!) And then, I found that some also may contain shrimp, or squid, like yours. My question is, is it very common/traditional for kimchi to contain fish sauce and/or seafood? Most of the commercially-made, jarred kimchis available in the USA are vegetarian, but if you go to a Korean or Asian market where they are made in-house (and taste so much better!), they often do have the fish sauce in them. The same with Korean restaurants’ kimchi. I know the best way to find out is to just ask them, but sometimes I wonder if I am insulting them by asking, or by not buying/ordering it if it does contain seafood products.
A better way to phrase my question might be, how likely is it that any given AUTHENTIC Korean establishment’s kimchi will be non-vegetarian? Should I just assume that it has fish sauce in it by default? Because that’s what I’m doing now, and I’m afraid I’m missing out on a lot of great kimchi and, by extension, other Korean food. I would appreciate your thoughts on this … is the presence of fish sauce or seafood ton the kimchi likely to be a regional thing? You mentioned that you use the squid because your family is from southern Korea.
Thank you! I hope to hear back from you!
“Should I just assume that it has fish sauce in it by default?” Yes, indeed! ” I know the best way to find out is to just ask them, but sometimes I wonder if I am insulting them by asking, ” No not at all, You can ask if the kimchi contains fish sauce or not.
Hi,
After the kimchi has fermented for a few days and is sour, is it okay to add more garlic and ginger and gochugaru then? Or will doing so cause the kimchi to go bad because of the bacteria that might be introduced with the garlic etc?
I’m asking because I made some kimchi and it tasted like it lacked garlic but the kimchi had already fermented to desired sour level.
Thanks!
After kimchi starts fermenting, I would not try to fix it by adding more garlic, ginger, and hot pepper flakes.
I love all of your recipes, but this kimchi is the real hero. It’s so simple, but it turns out so well. I’m extremely grateful that you shared it!
That was the best kimichi ever I made it for the second time it tastes fresh and sour thats amazing recipe maangchi thank you for the recipe
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Hi maangchi..its my first time making kimchi..and mine taste a bit sweet instead of sour and i’m accidently put too much leek..It produce some strong smell when we chew..how to adjust my kimchi?..tq
hey Maangchi! I love ur recipe and i made your bibimbap and bibim guksu and they were fantastic! I really want to make your kimchi but do you have to add chives, onions, and squid? because i can’t eat them.
Question: My father was stationed in Korea during the war, and had stories of the kimchi being fermented in clay pots that were buried. Does anyone do this anymore?
It so easy way to make it for the beginner. But i lil bit confused.. I put my kimchi to fridge right away after i made it. Is that fine? And how long i have to wait to eat it? And if put the kimchi in smaller container and pit it aside of fridge.. How long it can be fine to be eat? Anyone help me please :(
You can eat it right away but it won’t be fermented. You can put it in the fridge right away if you want it to ferment slower and last longer. Or you can leave it out 24-48 hours depending on how warm your house is (warmer=shorter amount of time, colder=longer amount of time) and then put it in the fridge. You can eat it for months and months.
Bah! I put a bit too much sugar in mine so I have sweet kimchi. On the upside my kids loved it. Ages 6 and 4.
For this recipe, are the hot pepper flakes the spicey or milder ones?
If I substitute fresh spicy peppers, after blended, about how much would I need for 2 cups of flakes? Would it be better to let the peppers dry out, then grind them insread of using them fresh? Taedanhee gomawoyo.
Hi Maangchi,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for putting all of your lovely recipes online for free. I’m embarrassed I have not said anything sooner as I have used your recipes for mak kimchi and radish kimchi for a long while now. I have even had requests lately to start making the recipes for some of my friends. I always tel them I found the recipes on your lovely website.
Thank you for sharing!
Meagen
p.s. I just purchased your book and cannot wait to read it.
Hi Maangchi! Can I use gochujang for make kimchi/?
Well,made my first batch of kimchi today, with instead of squid i used salted shrimp. not too happy with it so far, way too salty for me and i don’t know if i can fix it.
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Your kimchi looks good to me but it sounds like you added saeujeot (salted shrimp) too much. When it ferments, the taste will be better though. We have talked about salty kimchi on the forum and I gave a tip. Check this out, please. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/kimchi-fermentation
Thank you. It produce 1 1/2 gallons of kimchi, so i let half gallon set out on counter and ferment. its bee 5 days and is starting to taste better. I did not drain the saeujeot or rinse it. Just threw it and the liquid into the batch. next time i’ll rinse it good and then throw in. I understand the need for salt. But my doctor is quite upset with me about my salt intake. LOL. FYI i have lost about 20 lbs now by incorporating some of the recipes into my diet along with a new diabetic med.
This batch did make some Excellent stir fried Pork and fried rice. I’ll tell ya one thing about your recipes. I can eat on one meal for almost a week. So i typically make a dish and use some once in a day for a meal along with other dishes i like
hi maangchi! thank you for the recipe! i’ve made it twice now but i’m having an issue, and i’d love some help troubleshooting it if you don’t mind.
i think the first time i made the kimchi, i accidentally doubled the amount of fish sauce, and this resulted in kimchi that has a very deep, umami flavor. it’s not unpleasant but i like my kimchi a little more sour, SO i made kimchi jiggae and made a new batch of kimchi.
so this time i used the regular amount of kimchi but i also forgot the tiny shrimp. my kimchi fermented super fast. i thought diluting it with new kimchi might slow it down, so i made a new batch of diakon kimchi and mixed it in. the sourness slowed down, BUT now most of my napa cabbage is soft while the diakon is crunchy and perfect. i’ve had to freeze most of it to make kimchi jiggae with later :\
am i right in thinking that the second batch became sour faster and got soft due to less salt in the recipe? maybe because i forgot the shrimp?
is it okay to add more fish sauce to the jars at this point, or would that cause a problem?
Please check this out. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/kimchi-fermentation
already did — i guess my main question was, would adding more fish sauce have halted the process?
i made a new batch though. i made this one with 25% more fish sauce and two extra tbsp of shrimp to make it extremely salty, then strained out the sour brine from two jars of the old kimchi (i didn’t want to waste it and i wanted to get a head start on fermentation since it was so salty). this batch is perfect.
Me and my friend Paolo love the way you cook..hehe Btw your make up is amazing too.. It’s very kampat hehe
Hello Maangchi,hope you are good?
I tried to make egg muffins.
Hello maangchi, I finally made mak kimchi after planning for so long. But I ended up putting too much garlic!! So all I can taste is the garlic! I’ve left it outside on the counter for the last 3 days and even though the garlic taste has reduced its still very much garlicky!! Is tbere a thing I can do? I feel like the salt is less too since I didn’t add squid or oysters I only added the amount of salt you added during the salting process directly to the kimchi. Should I add more salt? I feel like I can’t taste anything but the garlic when i eat!! Please help-I was so excited to make the kimchi cause I had been planning to make it for months. Can I add more fresh vegetables and kimchi paste made withour garlic to this batch? It’s already fermented 3 days on my counter (today first time bubbles came when I opened). Please tell me what to do!! Thank you so much!!!
You made kimchi for the first time! That’s great! If the kimchi turns out too bland, add some salt. You can add salt anytime. When the kimchi ferments, strong garlic smell will tone down.
Maangchi, thank you so much for your response. But other than letting it ferment – isn’t there anything else I can do to reduce the garlic flavor? I can’t eat it fresh at all cause the garlic taste over takes everything. I’m so disappointed in myself. :( will adding some more cabbage after washing in salt and water reduce the garlic taste?
You might try making a partial batch of kimchi without garlin, and mix7it together. I would think that should dilute the garlic flavor. Good luck!
Hello again Maangchi! Now I have a lot of kimchi! I really want to make things like kimchi stew and kimchi fried rice which needs well fermented kimchi. Can I keep the kimchi on the counter for a while to hasten the ripening and not have to wait for a couple months in the fridge? If so how long is it OK to keep on the counter? and then how long should I keep in the fridge for the great ripe flavor? Thank you!
Hello Maangchi! Thank you so much for all your recipes! I’ve tried so many and loved it! My favorite still has to be dakgalbi and we love the addition of kkaenip. I’ll be making this kimchi recipe soon and was wondering if I could leave out the oysters/squid? I can’t seem to find fresh seafood near me and would prefer not to risk a stomachache :) Thank you so much!
Maangchi. I bought hot pepper powder instead of hot pepper flakes. Can i still make kimchi with the powder? I was planning to make it tomorrow! :( thanks!
Yes, you can use hot pepper powder instead of hot pepper flakes when you make kimchi. Only difference between flakes and powder is how finely they ground. But you might have bought hot pepper flakes because I sometimes see English translation on the package is wrong. Check out this page for more in-depth explanation. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredient/hot-pepper-flakes
Hello Mannchi! In this recipe you do not state the kind of salt you are using? Is it kosher salt or sea salt from Korean stores? Coarse or fine? What kind of salt should I use? Maybe someone can recommend? Thank you so much!
I use kosher salt. Check this out, please. https://www.maangchi.com/blog/using-salt
Thank you so much Maanchi! I like Kosher salt too for the very same reasons and for making cooking simpler. This makes it all easier!
Hello!
I have made your recipe 2x in the last 2 weeks as a surprise for my (Korean) boyfriend’s birthday. The first time, I used a little too much garlic (leave it to an Italian, ha!) but after a week, the garlic mellowed. However, it did have a carbonated effect / taste, so I think I did not ferment it properly in the beginning.
The second time around, I made the paste perfectly (he said the color was good, and the taste) and no fizzi-ness, however, I used a different salt (a kosher / coarse salt, instead of the fine sea salt I bought at the Korean grocery store) and we think this made the cabbage too salty (because the sauce is not salty, just the cabbage after taste). But he said the direction I’m going in is right.
So this time I am making another batch this week, so he can take it to his mom.I have two questions:
1)When you first soak the cabbage, how long do you actually soak it for in water, before you put it in the salt?
2) This time I am going to add fish sauce. Which brand do you recommend? I haven’t used fish sauce the last 2 times because I was worried it would be too fishy, but I am ready to try it.
Thank you! Your videos helped tremendously!! (I also made Miyeok Guk for his birthday last week!)
With love,
The Italian Kimchi Wannabe Chef :)
I forgot to mention that the second time, after I finished making the kimchi, I did not refrigerate it right away. Instead, I left it out on the counter and then put it in the fridge the next morning. I think this helped greatly to avoid the carbonated effect from the 1st time.
In case maanchi does not get to respond to you, this is the one she recommends on this site:
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredient/fish-sauce
This brand is very popular at my local Korean market and gets a lot of shelf space, and stacks of crates at the ends of aisles, too! Three Crabs
Hi Maangchi, can I use fresh hot peppers for kimchi instead of hot pepper flakes?
Yes, you can.
Grind the fresh peppers until creamy and mix with garlic, ginger, fish sauce and follow the recipe. You don’t need to add porridge.
Maangchi! I have been making this recipe for more than 7 years and I still keep coming back to it. Thanks for turning the world onto Korean food (and good kimchi).
Ravi!
It’s been a long time I heard from you! I’m happy to hear that you have been making your own kimchi for years! Didn’t you say you are a vegetarian when we ran into each other at an event in Brooklyn a few years ago? I’d like to taste your kimchi someday!