Cabbage Kimchi (양배추 김치) (Eng)

Kimchi also spelled kimchee or gimchi, is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. It is often described as "spicy" or "sour In traditional preparation kimchi is often allowed to ferment underground in jars for months at a time.

 It is Korea's national dish, with hundreds of varieties made from napa cabbage, radish, scallion, or cucumber as a main ingredient. Kimchi also has many different kinds depends on the main ingredients

 In addition to being served as side dishes(banchan), Korean side dishes presented as part of a meal, it can also be used in a variety of cooked dishes.

Today, I’m going to make Kimchi using cabbage.

Cabbage can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. The fiber-related components in cabbage do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they've been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it's easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw cabbage still has cholesterol-lowering ability, just not as much as steamed cabbage.

Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. It is also a very good source of manganese, dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin B1, folate and copper. Additionally, cabbage is a good source of choline, phosphorus, vitamin B2, magnesium, calcium, selenium, iron, pantothenic acid, protein, and niacin.

Cabbage is also a unique source of several types of phytonutrients. Its overall antioxidant activity is most likely due to its unusual polyphenol content. With red cabbage, these polyphenols include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds called anthocyanins.

Cabbage is also unique for it rich supply of glucosinolates. These phytonutrients can be converted by the body into isothiocyanates that have special detoxification and anti-cancer properties. (Reference: www.whfoods.com)

Ingredients

• 2 heads cabbage
• 1 cup of kosher salt
• 1 cup of Korean chili flakes( gochugaru) (You can buy easily from Asian grocery stores)
• ½ cup of fish sauce (I also used salted shrimp sauce. But not necessary)
• 2 table spoons of minced garlic
• 2 table spoons of sugar
• 1 cup of sliced green onion
• 1 cup of sliced onion

Directions

1. Place the cut cabbage in the large bowl.
2. Put 3 cups of cold water and 1 cup kosher salt in a small bowl. Mix it well.
3. Properly sprinkle salted water to the cabbage. Toss to combine.
4. Allow its contents to sit at room temperature until the cabbage has wilted (3~4 hours).
5. Rinse it in cold water a couple of times, and drain.
6. Transfer it in large bowl and Add garlic, onion, Korean chili flakes( gochugaru),  fish sauce, sliced green onion, sugar.
7. Thoroughly mix the cabbage with all ingredients.
8. Put the kimchi into a container.
9. Keep it at room temperature and it will ferment in a few days. And you should keep it in refrigerator.
10. Serve it with rice.

Place the cut cabbage in the large bowl.

Put 3 cups of cold water and 1 cup kosher salt in a small bowl. Mix it well.

Properly sprinkle salted water to the cabbage. Toss to combine.

Allow its contents to sit at room temperature until the cabbage has wilted (3~4 hours).

Rinse it in cold water a couple of times, and drain.

Transfer it in large bowl and Add garlic, onion, Korean chili flakes(gochugaru),  fish sauce, sliced green onion, sugar.

Thoroughly mix the cabbage with all ingredients.

Put the kimchi into a container.

Keep it at room temperature and it will ferment in a few days.  

Serve it with rice.

                                                      Reference: Wikipedia