Description
Make vibrant, tangy Red Cabbage Kimchi with crisp texture and gorgeous purple color. A Korean classic with a colorful twist, perfect as a side dish or topping.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Salting the cabbage:
- 1 large head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup coarse sea salt (100g)
- 1 cup cold water (150ml)
Kimchi paste:
- 1/2 small apple, peeled and seeds removed
- 1/2 thumb-sized piece of ginger
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp Yondu (Korean vegetable umami sauce)
- 100ml water (or kombu-soaked water*)
- 3 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 tbsp cooked rice
Extra vegetables:
- 1 red onion, sliced
*To make kombu water: soak a 3x3-inch piece of kombu in 120ml water for an hour or overnight.
Instructions
- Salt the cabbage
Place the sliced red cabbage in a large bowl. Dissolve salt in water, pour over the cabbage, and toss well. Let it sit for 3–4 hours in summer or 5–6 hours in winter, flipping once halfway. When a thick piece bends without snapping, it’s ready. - Rinse and drain
Rinse the cabbage three times under running water to remove excess salt. Drain completely in a colander. - Blend the paste
Combine apple, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, Yondu, water, apricot jam, and cooked rice in a blender. Blend until smooth. - Mix
In a large mixing bowl, combine cabbage and sliced red onion. Add the paste and mix thoroughly by hand (wear gloves). - Pack and ferment
Pack tightly into a clean container, leaving about an index-finger’s width of space at the top for fermentation gases. Close the lid and ferment at room temperature for 24–48 hours. Taste after 24 hours; for a tangier flavor, leave it for 48.
Notes
At first, the beautiful purple color doesn’t come through completely, but after just one night, the cabbage turns a gorgeous, deep shade of purple.
- Prep Time: 4 hrs
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Kimchi
- Cuisine: Korean
