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, fermented squid for kimchi?
A: Choose about 300 grams (⅔ pound) of very fresh squid. Then:

  1. Remove the guts and backbone and rinse it.
  2. Add 3 tbs kosher salt and mix it with a spoon.
  3. Put it in a container or glass jar and keep it in the refrigerator for a week.
  4. Rinse the squid thoroughly until not slippery and drain it (you can skin it if you want).
  5. Dry the squid with paper towel or cotton and chop it up.
  6. Add it to your kimchi paste!

I answer many other frequently asked questions about making kimchi in this video.

Ingredients

  • 10 pounds baechu (napa cabbage)
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • ½ cup sweet rice flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • water
  • 1 cup of crushed garlic
  • 1 to 2 tbs ginger, minced
  • 1 cup onion, minced
  • 1 cup fish sauce
  • salty, fermented squid (see FAQ, above)
  • 2½ cups Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru) (to taste)
  • 2 cups leek, chopped
  • 10 green onions (diagonally sliced)
  • ¼ cup of carrot, julienned
  • 2 cups Korean radish, julienned

Directions

Prepare the cabbage

  1. Trim the discolored outer leaves of the napa cabbage.
  2. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Chop it up into bite size pieces.
  3. Soak the pieces of cabbage in cold water and put the soaked cabbage into a large basin. Sprinkle salt.
  4. Every 30 minutes, turn the cabbage over to salt evenly (total salting time will be 1½ hours).
  5. 1½ hours later, rinse the cabbage in cold water 3 times to clean it thoroughly.
  6. Drain the cabbage and set aside.

Make porridge

  1. Put 3 cups of water and sweet rice flour in a pot and mix it well and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the porridge makes bubbles (about 5 minutes).
  2. Add ¼ cup sugar. Stir and cook for a few more minutes until it’s translucent.
  3. Cool it down.

Make kimchi paste

  1. Place the cold porridge into a large bowl. Now you will add all your ingredients one by one.
  2. Add fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, crushed garlic, minced ginger, and minced onion.
    *tip: it’s much easier to use a food processor!
  3. 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!
  4. Add green onions, chopped leek, Korean radish, and carrot.
  5. Mix all ingredients well and your kimchi paste is done.

Action! Mix the cabbage with the kimchi paste!

  1. 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.
  2. 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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1,180 Comments:

  1. Oreosandmilk Virginia joined 1/14 & has 1 comment

    Hello
    I have a question: so I would like to try to make kimchi but I only want to use 1 cabbage. How do I know how much ingredients do I add???

  2. Ykiona Israel joined 1/14 & has 1 comment

    Hey Maangchi!
    I want to try making kimtchi but I have a problem. The squid. Is it essential? For some reasons I cannot eat it and wonder if the kimtchi will still be good if I do not add it. Thanks in advance for your help :)

  3. FLWMO MO joined 12/13 & has 1 comment

    Hello Maangchi,

    I made your kimchi yesterday and think I used too much red pepper. I used 2.5 cups and it’s very hot. Will it become less spicy while it ferments?

    Also, it has a very strong taste that I’m not used to. Will that taste settle as it ferments? I left it out of the refrigerator overnight and then put it in the refrigerator this morning. I thought I needed to leave it out of the refrigerator more, so I took it back out and now it’s on the counter. Not sure what to do.

    Please help.

    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

      Yes, don’t worry much about it.
      Let your kimchi ferment outside the fridge for a couple of days until it turns a little sour. It will taste better. And if the fish sauce is too strong flavor, add less amount and use a little more salt in your next batch of kimchi.

  4. dawnng Toronto joined 11/11 & has 3 comments

    Hi Maangchi, after learning how to make kimchi from you, life will never be the same again! It taste so delicious, totally different from what is sold in the supermarket! It’s either too salty or blend!!!

    My husband is promoting it to all his friends. He is a Korean and he loves it! So I am very happy and I will continue learning from your website! Thanks to you.

  5. Fragonard UK joined 12/13 & has 2 comments

    Sorry I’m a little late to this. Could I ask you two questions? I live in the UK. I haven’t seen Napa Cabbage being sold locally. Could I use other types of cabbage like European types? eg Savoy. Also, when you say Korean raddish…..is that basically the same as Daikon raddish? Thank you. Some really nice recipes here.

  6. riririn China joined 12/13 & has 1 comment

    hi maangchi!! this is my first time to visit your website:D And I am not good enough to estimate how many cups of salt to use on my kimchi please help me. If I use 2 chinese cabbages, how many cups of salt should I use? thank you veeeryy much:3~~

  7. kolin65 greece joined 11/13 & has 2 comments

    i realy love your website!. It makes it look easy ( which it is)! i am going to try it soon <3

  8. Joel Milwaukee, WI joined 1/13 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi,

    I’ve made this kimchi recipe 6 times now and it’s turned out great each time, the only problem I have is that it’s not all that spicy. I bought a big bag of the Assi brand chili flakes at a local store and even if I use 2 cups (I usually make half batches) it doesn’t turn out to be hot at all. I don’t know if I got a bad bag or if it’s the nature of this brand. Do you have any recommendations for another brand that I could look for or buy somewhere online?

    Thank you so much for all your great recipes!

  9. Huiwen Penang, Malaysia joined 11/13 & has 1 comment

    Hello Maangchi! I made kimchi yesterday it was so happy and excited when I making kimchi! But it is still have some questions making me curious…. Why me kimchi taste sweet and only taste of chili powder and not spicy at all?Can I add some hot chili into the kimchi? Could you give me some advice and how to “rescue” my kimchi?:) Hope you can reply me as soon as possible! :)

    • ina78 Jerteh, Terengganu, Malaysia joined 4/09 & has 45 comments

      Hai huiwen! Saya rasa awak belum peram untuk 2 hari lg kut…. kalau nak pedas, serbuk cili korea ada juga yg pedas, tp saya tak pasti nak cari macammana, mungkin awak boleh tanya di kedai yg awak beli serbuk cili korea tu, atau pun kalau susah sangat, cari je serbuk cili malaysia (pastikan dulu kepedasannya), campurkan dgn serbuk cili yg awak guna sekarang… tambahan tu, mesti dibuat sebelum rempahnye di gaulkan dgn kubis tu. harap dapat membantu…..

  10. unniechan Hungary joined 1/12 & has 18 comments

    언니 I found out that you can serve freshly made kimchi with steamed pork and can you please give me a quick recipe or idea of how to make it

  11. Hanahanh Vietnam joined 11/13 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi,

    just made based on your recipe, so so yummy,
    some Korean guys told me it’s much better than in Korean (I’m living in Vietnam) :)
    I think it’s little sweet for me, and 2nd time, I reduce sugar, and it’s very tasty,
    thank you so much for very easy kimchi,

  12. donutsensei Toronto, Canada joined 11/13 & has 1 comment

    Noona!! I dont have any fish sause. Are their any substitutes that i could use? People are recommmending soy sause but I want your opinion too!

    Thanks :)

  13. NatSuarez USA joined 10/13 & has 8 comments

    Dear Maangchi,
    I have been following and making your recipes for a few months now. I have learned so much from you!! :)
    I have just finished preparing this easy kimchi I cannot wait to eat it!

  14. Sammyj Texas joined 8/13 & has 1 comment

    I want to thank you so much for this site. I have wanted to learn how to cook Korean dishes for a while. My husband fell in love with Korean food before we met. His roommates mom would cook for him when they would go home on leave. When me and my husband got married he told me I would have to meet her and learn all her recipes. That was not going to happen. I recently asked my boss to teach me and she turned me on to your site. I have so many cook books and everything seemed overwhelming. Watching you make food not only makes me smile but it makes everything so easy. I have made so many of your dishes now and everything has tasted amazing. Tonight I made this kimchi because we love kimchi. This was the best kimchi I have ever tasted and my husband said it was wonderful the only that has ever been comparable to his friends moms kimchi!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This site is so well thought out and amazing! Now I can keep my husband happy forever!

    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

      “This was the best kimchi I have ever tasted and my husband said it was wonderful the only that has ever been comparable to his friends moms kimchi!!” His friend’s mom is now my competitor! : ) Thank you so much for your nice words! Cheers!

  15. peonygirl portland, oregon joined 8/09 & has 51 comments

    Hi,

    Yes, that has happened to me too. I don’t like super salty kimchee so I rinse like 5 or 6 times. Soaking it is a good idea! I also have read that the salt to use for kimchi is specific. Buy a coarse kosher type salt- I get mine at a Korean Market and is has large, almost like tiny pebble sized granules. If you use any old table salt or refined salt it may really not be giving you the effect you want.

    I’m gearing up to make it this Fall since that cabbage will be in season. Maangchi’s recipe is really nice- I liked it last time but again, too salty for my taste! Especially since I don’t eat kimchi like a side dish- I eat a LOT of it! Good luck!

    • Hawaiano MN joined 4/14 & has 1 comment

      I used to find that my kimchi was too salty but I found an interesting technique by accident. My large soaking basin happens to have a small hole in it which allows the water to drain slowly and continuously. I may add a little more extra salt periodically as I continually toss and drain the cabbage. This makes for a less salty kimchi. Essentially the cabbage is draining salt water more than it is soaking in salt water. I don’t know if that is right or wrong but it does produce a less salty kimchi. You just have to make sure the basin is sitting in the sink so salt water doesn’t spill onto your counter top. I’d like to ask Maangchi what she think of that method but it looks like she has enough questions about kimchi already! LOL So far I find that with the fish sauce (and my addition of salted shrimp) it seems salty enough for good and safe fermentation. If this is wrong someone can let me know but so far I like the less salty kimchi it produces. I only have to rinse out the cabbage 2 to 3 times before putting into the mix (rather than the 5 or 6 that you have tried).

  16. aearthr Singapore joined 1/10 & has 5 comments

    Hi, Maangchi!
    It had been two years I have learnt your kimchi recipe. Over the years, I have modified your recipe to suit my taste and cost. Especially this year, I have been making the kimchi every month. Now I’m had made my 10th batch of Kimchi. You can see the final product here: http://alittletypical.wordpress.com/2013/09/11/my-10th-kimchi-batch/

    Oh, by the way, I love kimchi so much that I eat it as a everyday snacks! Yum!

  17. Meilin indonesia joined 9/13 & has 2 comments

    Hi maangchi! i’m from indonesia..
    i try to made kimchi yesterday, but i didn’t know what taste kimchi is..
    when I tasted it, it tasted just like garlic, onions and spicy. isn’t it seasoned with salt or sugar? please reply soon. sorry my english is not good..
    thank you maangchi!!

  18. pokopori North America joined 9/13 & has 3 comments

    Amazing recipe! I’ve made this twice now minus the squid and both times, it’s turned out absolutely delicious. Thank you for the detailed instructions and video! This is one of the best websites I’ve ever come across for Korean Recipes!

    As a side note, I noticed that you don’t have a recipe for gochujangjiggae. I’ve scoured the web for a good recipe but I can’t find even one. Would you mind sharing your recipe with us? I’m sure it’d be absolutely delicious!

  19. quiet professional United States joined 8/13 & has 1 comment

    Thank you for this web site!
    I was stationed in Korea & learned to love both the people and especially the cooking.
    I’ve taken every opportunity to practice preparing Korean food.
    Although I’ve followed your Kimchi recipe closely (without salted squid) I can’t seem to get the taste like I remember, it takes ok – like the store bought kind here in the US.
    The crispness, saltiness & spiciness are fine, but all seem to be overpowered by sour or a slight bitter taste – this even in a recently made batch.
    Are my tastes off, or is there something you can suggest?
    If your ever in central Florida I’d like to meet you –
    Again, thanks for all you do for spreading Korean culture.

  20. saranghaekorea trinidad joined 8/13 & has 1 comment

    hi Maangchi,
    I’ve seen lot of korean dramas/movies/and tv shows and i’ve always wanted to try the food i’ve decided on kimchi and Ginseng chicken soup (samgyetang) but i don’t have the ingredients
    where i’m from the most asian dish you can find is chinese so i was wondering if i can get all these ingredients and more somewhere else because i doubt it’ll have it in my country( i’m from the caribbean) I really really want to try korean food can you help me please???

  21. biricv prague joined 8/13 & has 1 comment

    Hello Maangchi, thanks for your recipes, Im from Prague and I am just an beginner korean food lover. Can you please advice if its possible to make kimchi non-spicy?
    Thanks a lot.
    Veronika

  22. Peas4everyone Toronto joined 8/13 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi,

    I know you’ve said that you can subsitute the fish sauce for soy sauce so I hope this question isn’t redundant but is the measure same amount of fish sauce for same amount of soy sauce?I have everything ready to go, just want to make sure I have the right measures…

    Thank you!

  23. GrinBluez Philippines joined 8/13 & has 1 comment

    Dear Maangchi,
    Thank you for this recipe; I’ve done it but without the radish & the squid since my wife doesn’t like it; i just wondering, why it becomes more watery…i admire those kimchi that i saw when they served as a side dish in the resto, it does not contains any sauce at all…can you tell me why? thanks a lot in advance. more power!!!!

    • Jesper Copenhagen-Denmark joined 12/13 & has 6 comments

      The initial salting breaks down some of the cell membranes, and thereby releases some of the water from inside the cells. While it ferments, more cells membranes are broken down, and more water is released. If you want it to be more dry, you can carefully squeeze the kimchi before serving.

  24. KRGBrandon Australia joined 7/13 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi! I am a 30-year old Korean and have only just started to cook Korean food!! My first kimchi attempt was with a different recipe and it didn’t turn out very well. I ended up throwing it out; it was so slimy and just gross! My second attempt (with your recipe) turned out so much better I love it! The rice flour porridge mixed with the chilli pepper and the other filling ingredients makes such a big difference. I keep my kimchi in a glass jar in my fridge and eat it almost every day! I think I’m addicted to it. =) I started out with only one napa cabbage but if I keep this up I may have to make bigger batched!

  25. Sally Lim Malaysia joined 7/13 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi,

    Thank you for the kimchi recipe. It was a hit among my family, colleagues and friends. We loved it to bits. Anyway, i have question to ask you.
    1) For my 1st & 2nd batch of mak kimchi, it has very little juice. I wish the kimchi would have more juice so i can make kimchi stew. I can tell it was fermented because i can see bubbles and i tasted the kimchi. It’s sour. Just the way i like it. For the 1st batch it took a day to fermented in room temperature before i stored it in my fridge. Maybe due to the hot weather. For the 2nd batch, it took 3 days due to cloudy weather. I was freaked out because it took 3 days. I thought my kimchi was spoilt. Teehee. Can you tell me what went wrong?
    2) Can i use nashi pear in replacement of sugar in the recipe? If yes, how much pear do i have to use for 5 pounds of napa cabbage?
    3) Can i add salted shrimp paste as well in replacement of squids? if yes, how much do i have to put? Do i have to reduce the fish sauce?

    Sorry for asking too much questions. Waiting for your kind reply.

    Thank you.

    Regards,
    Sally

  26. cilston lim singapore joined 7/13 & has 2 comments

    Hi, I’m clinston I’m really interested in making kimchi, what store do you recommend for kimchi ingredients in sg (Singapore)?

  27. xxcassie Panama City joined 7/13 & has 1 comment

    Hi! i love your site :) I have a question x.x i just made my second batch of kimchi yesterday. first batch was only 3 pounds and had ver little brine but tasted good :) this second batch seemed to come out great! lots of jucies and its already starting to bubble overnight! it smells great and taste good but i am a bit woried. i tasted a piece of the cabbage today when i let the gas out a bit and it tasted great already starting to sour but it had a slight kinda of slimy feeling around it. no slime in the brine and no mold just a kinda slimy feeling around the cabbage when its in the mouth. is this normal?? ( I dont add fish sauce or flour to mine as i cant eat fish and cant get the flour)

  28. nafamily Corvallis,OR joined 7/13 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi,
    My husband is allergic to squid. Can i skip the salty squid? Or should i substitute it with something else? He is kinda allergic to most of seafood. Luckily, fish sauce is ok. Please let me know asap. I cant wait to make my own kimchi!!!!

    • YeonAh Montreal, Québec joined 5/11 & has 9 comments

      Hi, I believe Maangchi said in the video that you can skip the squid step :) Or was it in the comments? Either way, I make my kimchi without the squid too and it turns out great. Making some today actually. Have fun!

  29. yvonne84 Netherlands joined 7/13 & has 3 comments

    I made kimchi last night, it has been a year since I last made kimchi.
    I had forgotten that one year ago, after salting and rinsing, the cabbage came out too salty.
    I fixed it by rinsing it more and leaving it in water for an hour or so untill it wasn’t too salty anymore.
    It came out too salty last night as well, and I fixed it in the same way.
    But for next time, too avoid too salty cabbage, I would like to know if I should reduce the amount of salt, or reduce the salting time or both?

    • ina78 Jerteh, Terengganu, Malaysia joined 4/09 & has 45 comments

      Did you follow maangchi’s recipe correctly. ..? I think maybe it because the amounts of salt is more than maangchi’s recipe or you let the cabbage too long with the salt.. its either one of that…. well its from my experience. …but salt is also have a variety type. .. hmmmm. I just use sea salt powder…

  30. bad Okinawa, Japan joined 7/13 & has 1 comment

    고맙습니다! My first kimchi batch came out great. Thank you again so much! ^_^\/

  31. Ivy Malaysia joined 8/11 & has 3 comments

    Hi Maangchi,
    I’d like to get your advice. I made kimchi last night and just realized I put less 1 cup of hot pepper flakes. Can I add in again as this morning I saw the kimchi start fermenting?
    Please advise, thanks.
    Ivy

  32. juuliciously Australia joined 5/13 & has 2 comments

    I have a question. I cut the recipe in half to make a smaller portion but then I realize that there was a bit too much kimchi sauce. I didn’t think too much of it at the time and just placed it all into my container. The kimchi has been in the fridge from day #2 (today is the 3rd day since I made it), is it okay to salt more cabbage and add it to my container because there’s extra sauce? (note that I’m not talking about the Kimchi juices but the sauce made up of porridge/fish sauce/red pepper/etc etc)

  33. Joseph C Kim LA joined 5/13 & has 3 comments

    Love how easy you make it look!

  34. kareulo Italy joined 4/13 & has 1 comment

    Hi maangchi nuna!
    Here in Italy I can’t find Korean hot pepper flakes(not even gochujang). But I found Sambal Oelek instead…I googled it and saw that a lot of people use it to make kimchi

    Is it a valid substitute?
    The ingredients are:
    red peppers (78%),water,salt and preservative.

    Here’s a photo of what I am talking about http://i40.tinypic.com/2ufarfo.jpg

    Thank you!! :D

  35. celiawong Singapore joined 4/13 & has 1 comment

    Dear Maangchi, can the salty squid be substituted with salty fermented prawn paste such as this one here ? –> http://www.flickr.com/photos/bensharif/2096511857/

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