Vegan Vegan Kim Chi!

It is here!  The long-awaited kim chi post.  It has now been fermenting in the fridge for 15 days, and it is delicious!  I can't detect a difference in taste over the past week of fermentation, but we'll see how it does in the next week when kim chi recipe writers warn of its growing pungency.  The only concern is that there may not be much left for the taste test!

This recipe is super easy and only requires time.  The kim chi is so tasty, and we've been eating it with so many different things. I reduced the amount of sugar in David Chang's recipe, so the chili flavor is super mellow and secondary to the nosy tingle of the fermented vegetables.  I cut the daikons and carrots into ribbons, and left the garlic and ginger in slices, so that they could be enjoyed for themselves in addition to adding to the over all flavor.  The garlic slices are a real winner!  Although the ginger is a little overpowering for me.  There are many for whom I know that would be a real plus though!

It's amazing to see the pictures from when all the vegetables first went into the jar to the vegetables now! From this:

To this!:

Can't wait to hear about your experiences trying this great recipe! 

Enjoy!

Kim Chi

adapted from David Chang's Momofuku recipe

Takes 1 hour active time, 2 days to 2weeks fermentation time

Makes about 1 liter kim chi (about 1 quart)

1/2 of a large head of napa cabbage, discolored or loose outer leaves discarded

2 Tbsp. kosher salt

1/2 cup of sugar (I used palm sugar, which I had left over from making the fish sauce)

1/2 cup Korean chile powder (if you don't have it, some combination of hot chile powder and paprika would work--Korean chile powder isn't that spicy.  Armenian, or Kashmiri chile powder would work too)

1/4 cup fish sauce (or vish sauce)
1/4 cup light soy sauce

2 teaspoons vegetarian shrimp paste

20 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

20 thin slices of ginger (about 2 inches of ginger, peeled)

1/2 cup 1-inch pieces of scallions (about 8 scallions)

1/2 cup carrot ribbons, sliced with a peeler (about 3 small carrots)

1/2 cup daikon ribbons, sliced with a peeler (about 6 inches of a daikon)

Cut the cabbage in half, lengthwise, and then cut each hemisphere into 1-inch wide pieces.  Separate the leaf-pieces and toss in a large bowl with the salt.  Let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Combine chile powder, fish sauce, soy sauce, shrimp paste, and sugar in a large bowl.  Add 1/3 cup of water to make a thick, salad dressing-esque liquid.  Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, carrots and daikons.

Drain the cabbage, and add to the big bowl.  Stir thoroughly.  

Place it in a large jar (I used a 3 liter jar), and press the mixture down to release the juices of the cabbage.  I found this slotted spoon best for the pressing.

Make sure as much of the vegetables are under the brine as possible.  Cover and refrigerate.

Will keep indefinitely, but good luck keeping it beyond 2 weeks!

Kim Chi Update--Day 5

Readers of my last post on vegetarian fish sauce will know that a big jar of kim chi has been brewing in my refrigerator.  Today is Day 5, and we took a little out today to eat with our hot lunch--whatever's in the fridge jap chae!

I will post a recipe for this bowl of yummy sweet potato noodles as soon as I remember to write down what I did, but in the meantime, the kim chi is amazing!  I will post a recipe for that soon too, but I mostly followed David Chang's recipe, veggifying it.  It's so good!  Not too spicy or too salty, and just starting to develop that awesome fermented flavor.

We ate it on little fried tofu squares, too.

So good!!!