Kimchi is a staple of Korean life and many Koreans include it in their meals three times a day. You can eat it by itself, or use it in so many different Korean recipes. When Koreans make kimchi, they make an effort to make the best kimchi possible and include many regional ingredients.
Today I will show you how to make a traditional-style kimchi with oysters, and we’ll also make radish kimchi (“kkakdugi”) with the same kimchi paste, which saves us from having to make these two kinds of kimchi separately. This is how I make kimchi and kkaktugi, because I need both in my house, but you might be interested in my “easy kimchi” (mak kimchi) recipe if you don’t have a lot of time, or in my kakdugi recipe if you want to make only kakdugi, or make my traditional napa cabbage kimchi recipe by itself if that’s all you need. Also, if you don’t like oysters, you can leave them out.
Many people think you have to wait for kimchi to be fermented before eating, but personally I prefer to eat fresh kimchi, as soon as I make it. And I like to make stew (kimchi-jjigae) out of older kimchi.
Ingredients
- 2 large size napa cabbages (about 8 pounds: 3.6 kg) and 2 Korean radishes (about 4-5 pounds: 2 kg)
- 1½ cup of kosher salt
- ½ cup sweet rice flour, ¼ cup sugar, water
- 4 cups of Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 cup fish sauce,
- 1 medium sized onion, minced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup of fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tbs minced ginger
- 7 stalks of green onions, chopped diagonally
- 2 cups worth Buchu (Asian chives), chopped,
- 2 cups of matchstick-cut radish
- fresh oysters (optional)
Directions
- Cut the cabbages in half, and then slit each half through the core, but not through the rest of the leaves.
- Soak each piece in cold water and sprinkle salt over the each leaf , and then set it aside for 2 hours.
*tip: the stems should get more salt than the leaves - Peel 2 kg of Korean radishes and cut them into 1 inch cubes. Do this by cutting them into several disks, and then cutting horizontally, and then vertically. Put them in a big bowl and sprinkle them with ¼ cup of kosher salt. Then set these aside, too.
- 2 hours later, turn the pieces of cabbage over so they get salted evenly. Turn the radishes as well.
- Another 2 hours later, you will see the cabbage look softer than before, and it should have shrunk.
*the total salting process will take 4 hours - Rinse the salted cabbage and radish with cold water 3 times.
Making Kimchi paste:
Make porridge
- Put ½ cup of sweet rice flour and 3 cups of water into a skillet and mix them up. Then cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
- When you see some bubbles, pour ¼ cup of sugar into the porridge and stir one more minute. Then cool it down.
- Place the cold porridge into a big bowl. Now you will add all your ingredients one by one.
- Add fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, crushed garlic, ginger, and onion
*tip: it’s much easier to use a food processor. - Add green onions, Asian chives, and radish.
- Add 2 cups of frozen oysters, but this is optional. (I found out lots of people can’t eat them.)
- Mix all ingredients well.
Are you ready to spread our paste on the leaves and make your kaktugi?
* I recommend you wear rubber gloves so that you don’t irritate your skin.
- Spread the kimchi paste onto each leaf of the cabbage, and make a good shape out of the leaves by slightly pressing with both hands.
- Put it into an air- tight sealed plastic container or glass jar.
- Mix your leftover paste with your radish cubes to make kkakdugi.
You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it’s fermented. Put the Kimchi container at room temperature for 1 or 2 days and keep it in the refrigerator.
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.
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
Hi Maangchi, also from TO here! :D
I found your kimchi recipe and tried it out (I halved the recipe). One day later, the cabbage kimchi is very good … I think I will leave it out half a day more and it will be perfect! The radish kimchi is still too salty, but I can taste that it is coming along.
Thanks so much for your recipes and instructional videos–they are AWESOME!
Geoff
Hi Maagchi
I’ve added salt to the cut cabbage and radish for less than 1 hr, then washed and drained. Then added all the ingredients, is this okay? And after 1 night, there are no bubbles and I’ve put it into the refrigerator. Will it last for 1 mth? Pls adv.
Thanks
Rina.
6/10/08
Jackie,
You can take it out from your refrigerator and keep it at room temperature until its taste turns sour. Not all kimchi has bubbles when it starts fermenting. If your kimchi has not much liquid, of course you won’t see bubbles. The length of time it takes to ferement depends on the temperature of your room. If it is warm, it will ferment faster than if it is cool.
Hi Maagchi,
ive made the kimchi, but i left it out for one and a half day… but there stil weren’t any bubbles coming out, so i just put it back in the refrigerator and now when i taste it.. theres no sour taste.. is it wrong?
ALso, its kind of sweet…
Thank you for your quick response Maangchi. I look forward to making my first batch of kimchee. After I wrote you, I went to the Korean super market and bought some local store made kimchee.
I asked the Korean lady who was serving me if the kimchee I ordered had anchovies, fish sauce, or oysters. She said no, only shrimp. I ate some with rice and enjoyed the flavor.
If I were to add fish sauce to my kimchee, would that make the flavor more fishy or stronger? Also, should the shrimp in the paste be chopped up before mixing with other ingredients?
Oh btw I made your recipe for galbi jjim, yuk gae jang, and oi naengguk and it was so wonderful!! I can’t wait to try my hand at many of your other dishes. By this weekend I will be making the bulgogi stew.
Thank you for sharing your cooking talents again. Discovering your videos online was the best support I’ve found for preparing Korean recipes. I’ve also bought your book and DVD. Combining the two has really made it so easy for me to follow.
Hi Maangchi,
As I was pulling out all the helpful tips reading through all the Q/A, I am confused about the difference between “fish sauce” and “salted shrimp” as being the same.
I saw salty shrimp “sauce” in a jar called “sae woo jeot” (새우젓)(looks like baby shrimp pickled). Is this also referred to as shrimp “paste?”
When I see the fish sauce in a bottle, it is a liquid that has a label with a of picture of kimchee on the bottle. Is this also referred to as “anchovy” sauce?
Also, can Kimchee be made using only “sae woo jeot” (새우젓)? Or is the combination in a recipe you recommend better: 1/2 cup of fish sauce and 3 tbs saewoojeot (salty shrimp paste) for this recipe. Can you please tell me why that would matter?
Thanks for you help. I just want to make sure I understanding exactly what is needed and meant in these recipes.
jenny,
yes, I think you can use 1/2 cup of fish sauce and 3 tbs saewoojeot (salty shrimp paste) for this recipe.
Hi Maangchi,should i reduce the fish sauce if i add shrimp paste ? how many tbsp shrimp paste i should add ?
jenny,
You can make the most delicious kimchi, yayeee!
Yes, you can add shrimp paste which is pickled and very salty.
Hi Maangchi.can i add shrimp paste ( pickled small shrimp )? my kimchi s out of stock now hahahaha.i am planing make kimchi again.btw,all my husband’s friends said my kimchi taste like packing kimchi sold in supermarket.i told them i found a great teacher!!!
Isabel,
I use pear when I make “dongchimi”(non-spicy radish water kimchi).
Hello there Maangchi!
I have read some recipes incorporating blended Nashi pear into the kimchi paste. Some even put blended apples. What can you say? Have you tried these before?
Jennifer,
haha, it looks fantastic! Sometimes you don’t see bubbles even though kimchi is in the process of fermenting especially when kimchi doesn’t have much liquid. Your kimchi totally looks fine. Smell and taste it and if you find it’s sour enough, keep it in the refrigerator. Did I tell you? I usually eat my kimchi right after making it?
HEY, MAANGCHI!
MY FRIEND AND I JUST MADE KIMCHI YESTERDAY w/ YOUR RECIPE!
We left it out for a day but i don’t see no bubbles. Can I just put it in the fridge?
Photo; http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/myzsjennifer/DSC00096.jpg
thanks maangchi.
Allison,
Your information will be very important for those who are living in your area. I hope you leave the information under “where do you buy Korean ingredients” in Forum. Thank you!
Hi Maangchi & Mokopi,
Thanks for the information. I found another one at Novena Square called the Sol Mart (all Korean product). I bought the hot pepper flakes and make a 2nd attempt. My husband loves it. Will pay a visit to the shop at Burlington Square. Thanks again!
Hi Maangchi!
I’ve tried your receipe last night and it turned out REALLY GOOD!! WoW! I’ve already had kimchi before ( not home made ) and it was a little too sour… So, with your receipe, I like how it is possible to controle the “sourness” of this dish! I’m really happy to have tried to make kimchi! Thanks a lot!
mokopi,
Thanks a lot. Allison will be happy about the information where to buy hot pepper flakes. I am going to copy and paste your message in Forum under “Where do you buy Korean ingredients”
Hi Maangchi! I so love your video on kimchi making :) It was very entertaining and inspiring^^ I am gonna make kimchi tomorrow because I so love the taste of it with pork belly and chilli rice cake~<3
Thank you so much for the effort to put up the recipe and vid. It was so comprehensive:) Wish me luck for my attempt tomorrow!
***To Allison:
P.S.: I know where pepper flakes can be found in Singapore:) I’m from singapore btw. Its at Bencoolen’s Burlington shopping mall’s Shine Korean Mart. They have all you need for making kimchi. Gud luck on your search!
Allison,
Nobody uses hot pepper paste in kimchi. You will have to use hot pepper flakes.
hi, i m from malaysia. i also like kimchi very very much. thanks for ur sharing. i can’t find the red hot pepper flakes, but only the hot pepper paste. is it ok?
FYI, I’m from Singapore. I’ve been looking to buy the Red Hot Pepper Flakes but find only Chilli Powder instead. I prefer the flakes which looks original Kimchii I eat in the restaurant. Wonder if you or anyone know where they sell the chilli flakes here. Thanks! Oh I think my kimchii is fermented cos I see some tiny bubbles and top layer sauce becomes abit liquid, though the taste is too strong of garlic. Will try the 2nd time. Practice makes perfect.
Alison,
The amount of garlic in Kimchi depends on your taste.
I have tried making japanese cucumber kimchi. Not sure how it turn yet but can I know how many garlic you need cos I tasted the kimchi sauce the garlic taste and smell is so strong. FYI, I used 5 whole garlic, 1 big onion and 1 thumbsize ginger….
Isabel,
Yes, I do. I will post the recipe someday. Thank you!
Hi again Maangchi!
Do you have a recipe for baek kimchi? Please post it, please… Thanks!
summerparis,
Wonderful! Please update me how your kimchi making turns out later. Thank you!
hello there,
I am very glad I found this site, I have been reading and looking at all your recipes and I must say I am just estatic about making kimchi, i’ve recently purchased already made kimchi but i will try out your recipe really soon. Thank you for sharing all your recipes i cant wait to try them one by one.
Isabel,
oh, you made green onion kimchi? Actually I don’t use garlic in green onion Kimchi and use more fish sauce.
Anyway I’m happy about your successful Pa kimchi (green onion kimchi) making. I am going to post the recipe someday. Thank you!
I just made my first green onion kimchi and it tastes sooooo goooood….. Thanks you so much again, Maanchi. You’re the best cooking teacher that I’ve seen, at least on the internet.
Keep up the good work.
CheRio,
Just before eating your kimchi, take out from the container in the refrigerator and cut it into bite size.
Isabel,
wow, I’m happy to hear that you can make your own kimchi well!
The amount of kimchi consumption for Koreans depends on people. You should write your recipe in the Forum section. Many people will be interested in your kimchi noodle soup. It sounds simple and delicious. : )
Hi Maangchi,
Do I cut the cabbage (into smaller bite sizes) before I spread the kimchi paste or do I do it after all the fermentation is completed?
Hello there Maangchi!
The reason why I like kimchi so much is it’s versatiliy. You can eat it fresh, eat it fermented, cook anything with it and you get a very delicious meal.
Friday is the day of the week when I have to get up early for work. Since I made that successful kimchi, my friday breakfast now is noodles with kimchi. Very easy to prepare. I just make a soup base out of kimchi and just put the noodles in it. Sometimes if there are left over roast chicken, or if there’s an available can of tuna, or whatever is available in the fridge, I just mix it with the soup and I have a good breakfast.
My friends also like to eat kimchi so much. They eat like the Koreans do.
By the way, how much is the average kimchi consumption for Koreans? I’m just curious because I think I’m eating kimchi more than the Koreans do. I can eat maybe equivalent to one quarter of the Napa cabbage in your video) in one meal.
Hi Maangchi!
I chose to email you because this letter would be too long for your blog.
I like kimchi so much. I tried to make kimchi many, many years ago but I just failed. It’s because I got the “wrong” recipe. I just got it from a cookbook. Although I’ve come across many recipes for making kimchi on the internet, I never tried any. I never tried making kimchi again until I saw your video on YouTube (thanks to YouTube). After seeing your video I knew right there and then I finally got the right recipe. I bought everything that I needed and tried your recipe. After 2 days of fermentation, I checked my kimchi. Right after opening the container, I knew then that I made it!! It smelled so good!! I tasted it and wow, it was just perfect. It was really good.
You know the reason why I wanted to learn how to make kimchi is that, kimchi is not available in supermarkets where I live. There is not even a Korean restaurant here. The last time I’ve tasted really good kimchi was when I went to Hong Kong several months ago.
I thank you so much. I’ve made several batches of kimchi since the day I made the first one. I also like your other recipes.