Mustard greens kimchi

Today, I am excited to share my recipe for mustard greens kimchi, known as gat-kimchi (갓김치) in Korean. This deliciously fermented kimchi has a slightly sweet and sour flavor, complemented by a crispy texture that perfectly balances its tender leafy greens. My favorite way to enjoy this kimchi is by placing a leaf on a spoonful of rice and eating it all together. It’s so delicious that I don’t even need to reach for any other side dish on the table.

More than a decade ago, while browsing Chinatown in New York City, I stumbled upon these gorgeous green leafy mustard greens with thick, yet tender stems. Immediately, I knew that they would be perfect for making kimchi.

These particular mustard greens reminded me of the ones grown on Dolsan Island, which is located in the southernmost region of Korea, near the city of Yeosu where I grew up. Dolsan is renowned for its delicious gat-kimchi, which is why I was so excited to see these greens.

These days, I’ve been noticing that this particular type of mustard greens is not only available in Chinese markets, but also in Korean grocery stores. If you happen to come across them, just grab some and make kimchi! It’s a simple yet incredibly delicious recipe that’s guaranteed to add more happiness to your life!

Ingredients

Make about 2 pounds gat-kimchi

• 2 pounds mustard greens
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• ½ cup anchovy kelp stock (or vegetable stock) or water
• 1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour (or rice flour, or plain flour)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ cup fish sauce (or soy sauce)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon peeled ginger, minced
• ¼ cup sliced onion
• ¼ cup gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes)

Directions

Prepare the mustard greens

1. Rinse the mustard greens in cold water. Drain, and put them into a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle with the salt, more on thick part of the leaves. Mix well with both hands and let stand for 2 hours, turning every 30 minutes to salt evenly.

Meanwhile, prepare the kimchi paste

1. Combine the glutinous flour and the stock in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Stir until the mixture begins to bubble, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the sugar and stir for 30 seconds until the mixture is slightly translucent. Stir in the fish sauce.
3. Remove from the heat, scrape into a large bowl, and let it cool.
4. When the mixture is thoroughly cooled down, add the garlic, ginger, onion, hot pepper flakes. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Make kimchi

1. Wash the mustard greens in a couple of changes of cold water and drain.

2. Transfer to the bowl with the kimchi paste and gently toss and mix together by hand (wear disposable gloves if you like).
3. Transfer to an airtight container. Press down on the kimchi so it’s well packed and no air can get inside, then put the lid on the container.

Serve

1. You can serve the kimchi right away or let it ferment. It takes about 2 weeks to ferment in the refrigerator; for faster fermenting, leave it at room temperature for a few days, depending on the warmth of your room temperature, until the kimchi tastes and smells sour.
2. Once the kimchi is fermented, keep in the refrigerator. The kimchi will continue to ferment in the refrigerator and become more sour as time passes.

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