Mak Kimchi Recipe & Video

Mak Kimchi has the same flavor as traditional kimchi but with chopped cabbage. Mak Kimchi’s Mak means roughly, so it means roughly made kimchi. It’s easier and faster to make than traditional kimchi.

Also, I prefer this style of kimchi because it’s ready to serve! Traditional kimchi, you have to cut it before serving, which sometimes… can be annoying. lol!

Mak Kimchi Ingredients | You Will Need…

Salted Cabbage

• 6 lb napa cabbage
• 2 cups Korean kimchi sea salt or 1 cup fine sea salt
• 3 cup water

Kimchi Paste

• 3 cups water
• 4 oz dried pollack
• 2 sheets of palm size dried kelp
• 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
• 3 cups gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes
• 1 cup good quality fish sauce
• 3 tbsp saewoojeot, Korean slated & fermented shrimp (you can substitute to fermented shrimp paste)
• 1/4 cup maesilaeg, Korean preserved plum extract (you can substitute with an apple or apricot jam)
• 18 to 24 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt

 Vegetable Filling

• 2 lb Korean radish, julienne
• 8 to 10 green onions, cut in halves lengthwise if it’s thick, then cut into 1-inch long pieces
• 1 bunch of Korean mustard, cut into 1-inch long pieces (approximately 4 cups)
• 1 bunch Korean or garlic chives cut into 1-inch long pieces (approximately 2 cups)

Instructions

Cut the cabbage into quarters lengthwise and remove the core. Cut the leaves into bite sizes. 

Sprinkle Korean kimchi salt (it’s coarse sea salt) evenly over the cabbage, layer by layer. At the end, splash 3 cups of water. Salt the cabbage for 7 to 9 hours if it’s 60 degrees and below (fall/winter time), or 4 to 5 hours if it’s 60 degrees and high (summer time).

Rotate the cabbage once or twice during the salting process.

Rinse at least three times in cold water and place in a large strainer. Drain completely, about one hour.

Meanwhile, let’s make kimchi paste and prepare vegetables.

In a saucepan, add 3 cups water, dried pollack, and dried kelp. Bring it to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove all the solid ingredients.

Add sweet rice flour and whisk. Return to the heat and bring it to a soft boil over medium-high heat. Keep whisking, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

This is the sweet rice flour I use. I also use this one to make mochi!

Cut the Korean radish, chive, mustard leaves, and green onions into 1-inch-long pieces. Chop the garlic and ginger finely.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet rice porridge, gochugaru, fish sauce, saewoojeot, maesilaeg, sugar, and salt.

This is Maesilaeg, a Korean plum extract. There is a cheaper one out there, but it is too sweet—not much different from using sugar. The one I’m using is a bit pricy, but it is definitely well-made and a great product! You can find a better price point in the Korean market.

In Korea, maesilaeg is something “real good cook”‘s secret.

Add the radish, green onions, mustard leaves, and chives to the kimchi paste and mix well with your hand. (Make sure to wear a glove!)

Now, toss the salted and drained cabbage and mix well until everything is evenly combined. If your mixing bowl is not big enough, just do half or a quarter at a time. This is what makes Mak Kimchi “Mak”!

Transfer to an airtight container (Make sure to give the container about 1 inch of room because when kimchi is fermenting, it will bubble and expand). Close tightly and place on your kitchen counter for 1 to 3 days, depending on your taste. Then, place it in a refrigerator. I like to leave it for 2 days (48 hours).

Enjoy Mak Kimchi!

Mak Kimchi

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5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Seonkyoung Longest
• Yield: 3 gallons 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Salted Cabbage

• 6 lb napa cabbage
• 2 cups Korean kimchi sea salt or 1 cup fine sea salt
• 3 cup water

Kimchi Paste

• 3 cups water
• 4 oz dried pollack
• 2 sheets of palm size dried kelp
• 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
• 3 cups gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes
• 1 cup good quality fish sauce
• 3 tbsp saewoojeot, Korean slated & fermented shrimp (you can substitute to fermented shrimp paste)
• 1/4 cup maesilaeg, Korean preserved plum extract (you can substitute with an apple or apricot jam)
• 18 to 24 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt

 Vegetable Filling

• 2 lb Korean radish, julienne
• 8 to 10 green onions, cut in halves lengthwise if it’s thick, then cut into 1-inch long pieces
• 1 bunch of Korean mustard, cut into 1-inch long pieces (approximately 4 cups)
• 1 bunch Korean or garlic chives cut into 1-inch long pieces (approximately 2 cups)

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Instructions

1. Cut the cabbage into quarter in lengthwise and remove the core. Cut the leaves into bite sizes.
2. Sprinkle salt evenly to all of the cabbage layer by layer. Splash 3 cups of water at the end. Salt down cabbage for 7 to 9 hours if it’s 60 degrees and below (fall/winter time), 4 to 5 hours if it’s 60 degrees and high (summer time). Rotate the cabbage once or twice of the salting process.
3. Rinse at least 3 times through in cold water and place in a large strainer. Drain completely, about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, let’s make kimchi paste. In a sauce pan, add 3 cups water, dried pollack and dried kelp. bring it to boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove all the solid ingredients.
5. Add sweet rice flour and whisk. Return to the heat and bring its to soft boil over medium high heat. Keep whisking and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet rice porridge, gochugaru, fish sauce, saewoojeot, maesilaeg, sugar and salt.
7. Add the radish, green onions, mustard leaves and chives into the kimchi paste and mix well with your hand. (Make sure to wear a glove!)
8. Now, toss the salted and drained cabbage and mix well until everything is evenly combined. If your mixing bowl is not big enough, just do half or quarter at a time.
9. Transfer to a air tight container (Make sure to give container about 1 inch room, because when kimchi is fermenting it will bubble and expend). Close tightly and place on your kitchen counter for 1 to 3 days, depending on your taste then place in a refrigerator. I like to leave 2 days (48 hours). Enjoy!

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