Our Fast Twenty Minutes Express Kimchi Recipe!

Kimchi is well regarded as one of the most iconic foods of Korea. Enjoyed for centuries, there are dozens if not hundreds of variations of the delicious fermented food. Traditionally, kimchi was a way of preserving food in between harvests and was stored in jars underground to last the winter months. Later on, it was discovered that pickled foods had wonderful health benefits and remained popular even as other storage techniques were found – it is one of the reasons we mention Korean food as some of the healthiest in the world. Today, however, the craze for kimchi is driven by its distinct, delicious taste! The addictive combination of tartness and spiciness in kimchi has made it a staple of Korean cooking and a favourite around the world.

Kimchi is an incredibly forgiving dish when it comes to portions and ingredient amounts, but typically takes a long time to make. Fermenting the ingredients can take up to six months if you want a truly authentic tasty kimchi meal. Authentic cabbage kimchi takes at least two days to make. However, in Korea, an ever more popular type of kimchi called Gutjeori has emerged. Referring to briefly salted kimchi, this typically requires a little over an hour of salting time. However, by cutting a few corners, you can reduce that soaking time to just 20 minutes! Read our express kimchi recipe below to learn how:

Express Kimchi Ingredients

• One kilogram Napa Cabbage
• 65g Sea Salt
• Five Garlic Cloves
• One Inch Piece of Ginger
• One Small Onion
• Two Tsps Sugar
• Three Tbsps Anchovy Sauce
• Two Tbsps Honey
• Two Tbsps Apple Juice
• Two Red Chillis, Seeded and Sliced
• One Tsp Sesame Seeds

Express Kimchi Method

1. Cut off the cabbage stem. Vertically cut each cabbage leaf in half. Carefully put the cabbage leaves in a mixing bowl. Dice the small onion, and place in a separate container for later.
2. Pour a litre of water into a saucepan, and add the sea salt. Stir the salt in until it dissolves, while bringing the water to a full boil.
3. Remove the water from the heat, then allow it to cool for five minutes. Then, pour the water over the cabbage in the mixing bowl.
4. Let the cabbage sit for 15 minutes, turning the cabbage once half-way through. Then, rinse and drain the cabbage thoroughly.
5. Meanwhile, to make the kimchi filling, combine the onion with garlic, shredded ginger, and anchovy sauce in a blender. Puree the kimchi filling until it is smooth, then pour it into a smaller mixing bowl. Add your apple juice, honey, sugar, and chilli to the bowl, and mix well.
6. Take the drained, salted cabbage and put it into a shallow mixing bowl. Add the kimchi filling, and toss it all together to coat evenly. Sprinkle your sesame seeds over the top and toss again. You can add more red chillies here too if you want extra spice.

And you have some quick and easy express kimchi, ready after just 20 minutes of soaking! This kimchi should stay fresh for roughly a week and will taste a little different to long-fermented kimchi, but it contains all the bite and spice of the Korean food we love.

If you are looking for some more kimchi, we have a wide range of stock on our Korean supermarket online. Take a look and browse through our selection to find something that suits you. And if you tried making our recipe, leave us a message on social media – we’d love to hear how your cooking went!