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
- Rinse the mustard greens in cold water. Drain, and put them into a large bowl.
- 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
- 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.
- Add the sugar and stir for 30 seconds until the mixture is slightly translucent. Stir in the fish sauce.
- Remove from the heat, scrape into a large bowl, and let it cool.
- When the mixture is thoroughly cooled down, add the garlic, ginger, onion, hot pepper flakes. Mix well with a wooden spoon.


Make kimchi
- Wash the mustard greens in a couple of changes of cold water and drain.

- Transfer to the bowl with the kimchi paste and gently toss and mix together by hand (wear disposable gloves if you like).
- 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
- 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.
- 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.

Hello Maangchi, thank you for your wonderful recipes. While stationed at Kunsan, I enjoyed going to the bulgogi tents and the bean sprout soup. On base we would go to recreation center for lunch and always had rice, corn, bulgogi, yaki mandu, OMG!! loved it. When we took a trip to Seoul and Pusan, I also tried the seaweed soup, great flavor. Today I am attempting Garlic Green Beans.
I have question about mandu. While at Kunsan mandu was called yaki mandu, but noticed you just call it mandu. Is there a difference between yaki mandu and just mandu? With respect to Korean culture, I never want to address a person, place or thing incorrectly.
Thanks,
Heather
Hi Heather,
Thank you for sharing your delightful experience with Korean food during your time in Korea! The dishes you mentioned sound incredibly appetizing! Just a small clarification, the term “yaki” actually means “fried” in Japanese. In Korean cuisine, fried mandu is called gun-mandu.
Is the above mustard greens the same as the common type sold in US grocery stores? …. I do know there are Aisan types of mustard greens. But, I’m not sure of how much difference there is between those and US types. I like kimchi and do make my own. I’m tempted to try you mustard kimchi using the common US type mustard.
Yes, you can make this kimchi with any mustard greens. Good luck!
Can I print the recipe? I don’t see that option
To print the recipe without the photos and extra content, simply select “File” and then “Print” in your browser. The recipe should print out nicely on your printer.