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. Hi,
    I just made my kimchi & is very salty & cabbage was very wilted. What I did wrong??? Does not taste good fresh – is salty & spicy. I like sour food so maybe after couple days will be better if not I have to throw it away.
    Just want you to know I don`t like seafood but I like asian food alot!!!
    Help!!! Thanks

  2. Phillip joined 8/10 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi,

    Thanks for an amazing recipe. I’m a vegetarian and I don’t use fish sauce. I’d like to ask how much salt should I use?

    Thank you.

  3. helenzella joined 8/10 & has 12 comments

    i enjoy watching your cooking videos. i’d like to make your easy kimchi but lack the ingredients. is it ok to use chili powder other than the korean pepper powder used to make kimchi?

  4. Epicurean Adventure Minneapolis, MN joined 8/10 & has 30 comments

    Ever since I made a batch of kimchi using this recipe, I’ve been finding myself wandering down the stairs late at night to eat kimchi. It’s become my new favorite midnight snack! I love it as a snack even without the rice, but that’s because I’ve always loved spicy foods. And then I have I have it with rice and other side dishes for breakfast and lunch sometimes. I’ll definitely be making this many more times.

    I have pictures now. Is your email address maangchi@gmail.com? I don’t remember if it was gmail or not. You might remember me from facebook. I was talking about the purple dishes for banchan. :D

  5. Hi,
    I was wondering, is it okay to make the kimchi and prepare the salty squid at the same time and then add the squid into the kimchi a week later? Or would it be better if I prepared the squid first and add it in when I’m making the kimchi?
    Thanks!

  6. dufferin Heatherton,Nova Scotia,Canada joined 2/10 & has 3 comments

    Hello Maangchi:

    I have made this Kimchi and have had it stored in a large Tupperware container for about six months or more in my refridgerator. Everyday it gets better. More fermented, more sour. I love it and my batch is quickly becoming depleted.

    I used to live in Cheongju and while in Korea I thought that I once heard that people used to make Kimchi, store it in the clay pots and then when they made a new batch they would add it to the old batch, so that their kimchi could be added to and added to over many years. Does this sound right to you? Would it be possible for me to do this with my own Kimchi?

    Thank you,

    Dufferin

  7. eknoll Canada joined 8/10 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi,

    I went out and bought all my ingredients as i had planned to try making Kimchi………..i have been meaning to make it for a couple years now since returning from my year in Korea (Mokp’o)…….but then I had a baby and havent made the time. Anyway, I found your website and your recipe looks delicious and pretty easy. I

    I was wondering is it possible to ferment my kimchi in a ceramic crock pot with a lid on it? (similar to what they used in Korea traditionally)

    Thank you,

    Erinn (Canada)

  8. Aungka joined 8/10 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi,
    thank you for sharing, your instructions are great and easy to follow!
    I made this kimchi a few times, but there’s one little problem: The cabbage turns brown! It tastes great but it doesn’t look so nice. I’m using Korean hot pepper flakes and fish sauce. Can they be turning the cabbage brown?

  9. Reinier Rotterdam, The Netherlands joined 2/09 & has 101 comments

    I made this and had a small kimchi flood on my kitchen counter!
    My glass pots leaked liquid from the rubber seal while it was sitting and fermenting on the counter!
    Never overstuff the container :)

  10. sayyidah Malaysia joined 8/10 & has 4 comments

    Hi Maangchi :)
    what can i do to fix my too salty kimchi?should i add more cabbage or rinse the kimchi??

  11. hearty joined 8/10 & has 1 comment

    Your squid kimchi makes me drool. I see some people also use oysters. Do I need to get sashimi grade oysters/squid or I can just use frozen? How long can I keep in the fridge, is it the same as kimchi without raw seafood?

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

      frozen oysters or squid are ok to use unless you find very fresh oysters or squid. “How long can I keep in the fridge, is it the same as kimchi without raw seafood?” yes, same! When kimchi ferments, oysters or squid will also ferment together. Delicious!

  12. JeYoon joined 8/10 & has 1 comment

    Hi! Is there any options for hot pepper flakes? I haven’t found them anywhere in my hometown.

  13. ssuri5135 LONDON joined 8/10 & has 1 comment

    i like ur cooking style !! haha!
    i was born in jula-do young gwang so i like oyster kimchi!
    i think i have to try this one looks realy delicious!!!
    and i didnt know u have own ur web site! that makes me happy!

  14. Hi Maangchi, I’m thinking of including fresh red Chilli for the Kimchi paste. Do you think it will work? Thanks!

  15. Zulu500 Canada joined 8/10 & has 1 comment

    I would like to try this out..But I do not like seafood…Any suggestions on what I should do?

  16. Hi again, Maangchii!!

    I’m sorry this is a little long, but I just wanted to tell you a little story.. :) Even though my mom is Korean, she is not that good of a cook, so finding this site has made me and my mom so happy!! Now we don’t have to always go out to a Korean restaurant to enjoy yummy Korean food.

    But your Kimchi recipe is so amazing!! It tastes just like my Grandma’s kimchi!! It makes my mom so happy. I also do Taekwondo, and my Korean master also loves your kimchi!! Every time I tell him that I made kimchi over the weekend, his face lights up because he knows he’s getting some amazing kimchi soon!! It’s very cute lol. My boyfriend, who is also Korean, also says you have the best recipes :) He says that your recipes are better than his mom’s! :O I just want to say, thank you for having an amazing site!! I love cooking food, and I love cooking for others, and I’m so happy to have found an amazing Korean cooking site!! ^___^

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

      yay, I’m so happy to be found by you, too! lol, thanks! The Taekwondo (Korean martial art) teacher story is very funny! “Every time I tell him that I made kimchi over the weekend, his face lights up because he knows he’s getting some amazing kimchi soon!!”

  17. jchong joined 7/10 & has 2 comments

    Do you have the 1-3lbs cabbage recipe? I don’t want to mess it up….;p

  18. pinkcolap Canada joined 7/10 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi!!!,

    can I use fermented red pepper paste to make kimchi? :) If so, are there any changes I have to make at the recipe?

    Thank you!

  19. Jeffs colorado joined 7/10 & has 2 comments

    I just made my first batch of Kimchi tonight using this recipe except for the squid. Holy cow I love this stuff fresh, lol and I’m anxious to see how it tastes with some aging.

    Thanks so much for the information and instruction.

  20. vamp357 Germany joined 7/10 & has 2 comments

    Hello

    I made kimchi for the first time 18 Jul. I left the kimchi out over night and put my jars in the refrigerator the next morning. My kimchi is starting to ferment. However the taste is not quite there yet. Can I leave the jars out of refrigeration over night so my kimchi can ferment faster and place the jars back under refrigeration. Or is this a bad ideal. My husband loved the taste of the kimchi, but he agreed that it needed to ferment longer.

  21. Cler joined 7/10 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi,
    I’ve just registered and have a question; is it possible to substitute the Korean Raddish for Julienned Jicama and also Julienned Asian Pear? Love your website. Thanks so much for all your great recipes and for the time you take making them available.

  22. mokpochica Michigan joined 1/09 & has 89 comments

    I’ve made mak kimchi twice in 3 weeks now. Before I made it, my Korean husband told me, “Don’t make kimchi, just buy it. It’s not worthi it because it’s so much work.” (He knew because he made it himself once or twice when he first moved to the States.) Imagine his surprise when he came home after a long day of law school studies to find fresh kimchi in the refrigerator. After tasting it he said, “See–you can be a really good cook if you just try!” I think he liked it! When I made it again last night he told me that he thought we really ate the kimchi quickly this time. You should have seen him peering over my shoulder last night as I made it a second time. I think he is trying to figure out how my kimchi ended up better than his. :) I have 3 children and they all eat kimchi–even the 17 month old. Thanks maangchi. You’re wonderful!

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

      What a sweet story it is! I can feel your cute personality from your post! “You should have seen him peering over my shoulder last night as I made it a second time.” I can imagine!
      Making kimchi is not that difficult, right?

      • mokpochica Michigan joined 1/09 & has 89 comments

        It is a lot easier to make kimchi than I used to think. I made it for the 3rd time tonight and I am definitely getting faster. I’m slightly altering the recipe for our taste each time I make it too. I add more sugar and slice the radish thinly, but make thicker strips. I still haven’t added raw squid or oyster yet, but one of these days I will.

  23. Can i make the korean paste without a blender? Are there some ingredients I don’t definitely have to use to make kimchi(besides squid)?

  24. CLS singapore joined 6/10 & has 2 comments

    why my kimchi still not sour? I make my kimchi on 7/7/2010 and i put my kimchi in the fridge except for a little bit in a small container at room temperature.

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

      Is your kimchi still not fermented?
      Fermentation of Kimchi depends on your room temperature, and the saltiness of your kimchi. Mostly, it will take a few days to ferment your kimchi at room temperature, but If your kimchi is made very salty, it will take longer.

  25. mdpmay California joined 7/10 & has 1 comment

    I want to make a raddish kimchi is the recipe and the method of doing it are the same?

  26. kira joined 7/10 & has 5 comments

    HELP!!! I’m in the middle of making your kimchi for the first time, and I noticed that after salting the cabbage for only one hour, my cabbage is VERY wilted. I’ve rinsed it twice so far, and it’s all just falling apart into little shreds! I don’t know what happened??! Should I go buy new cabbage and start over? Do you have any ideas why this might have happened, and is it OK to use this cabbage even though it’s so wilted and in shreds? I’m so sad!!!

    • kira joined 7/10 & has 5 comments

      Nevermind! I love you! I don’t know why it was falling apart like that, and I’m glad I didn’t let it sit in the salt any longer, but I just used the cabbage that I had anyway. I think I chopped the cabbage a little too small, and I did have a little less than 10lbs, so maybe 1 cup was too much salt.
      Bottom line = Who cares?? This kimchi is awesome, and it hasn’t even fermented yet! And just the right amount of spice. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I love it!!!

  27. Ratix0 joined 7/10 & has 3 comments

    Hi Maangchi! I’m from Singapore and recently I’ve followed your recipe to make Kimchi. I can’t really find Sweet Rice Flour but I’ve found plain rice flour instead, used it and it seemed to work pretty well although it felt like I ought to add more sugar. Would it help if say, I add fruit juice(Pear or apple) from fresh fruits?

  28. czxqa joined 7/10 & has 1 comment

    Maangchi, this is absolutely wonderful! I had to leave out the Korean radish (I can’t get any here) and I left out the squid, and I couldn’t get the Korean hot pepper flakes, so I had to use a package of Hungarian hot Paprika and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and still this is fantastic! Wow! I love it so much fresh, I think I’m going to take your advice and refrigerate it now

  29. zoom joined 6/10 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi :)
    I wanted to ask you if there’s a way to substitute the fish sauce with something alse because I am looking for that sauce for already 4 days in all the markets and hypermarkets and I can’t find it anywhere and the cabbage that I brought won’t stay to much to wait for the fish sauce :(.Please help me Maangchi.
    And thanks for posting so much delicious recipes.You are the best!

  30. ngan520 joined 6/10 & has 1 comment

    how come some kimchi has this sweet taste to it? how do i make it so that it tastes a little sweet ?

  31. maj1stxc Toronto joined 6/10 & has 1 comment

    hey maangchi!!
    I LOVEEEE yyour recipes im so excited to make kimchi:D i got a question : i only have rice flour can i use it instead of sweet rice flour??
    Thanks:D

  32. Secretmel joined 6/10 & has 2 comments

    Hi Maangchi,

    Could substitute hot pepper paste with the hot pepper flakes? Would there be any difference? Thanks! =]

  33. shaoen01 joined 6/10 & has 11 comments

    I didn’t have any pear and so i used apple puréed and it was perfect! Even though, i must say that this recipe would be even more challenging without your easy instructions! Thanks again!

  34. LisaL USA joined 9/09 & has 19 comments

    Thank you SO SO much for posting up these recipes! I just got done making some kimchi, and man, it’s so good fresh!
    I did have a lot of porridge left over though. Like half of what I made.
    Can it be saved for later use? Or is it best to just throw it away?

    Here’s a photo of my kimchi
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/Shollia/kimchi.jpg

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

      yay yay yay! You are a spicy food lover! The kimchi looks great! I will twit twit to share it with my other readers! Leftover porridge?
      I would throw it away. Make it just right amount so that you don’t have to throw it away. Or freeze it for next use? Aigo! I don’t know! Don’t give me headache with a difficult question! lol.

  35. shaoen01 joined 6/10 & has 11 comments

    Hi Maangchi,

    If i don’t use sweet rice flour for this recipe, would it be okay? Any suggestions on what i could substitute it with? Thanks!

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