Vegan Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish of fermented cabbage, radish and carrot.
It has a range of flavours that include slightly salty, spicy, sour, umami and a hint of sweetness.
It’s flavour profile depends on the duration of fermentation and the amount of seasoning used.Kimchi not only adds a zing to your dish, but is also nutrient dense, low in calories and contains probiotics which promotes gut health.
Add it in your noodles, fried rice, stew, pasta or as a topping on your burger or salad bowl.
(Note : This recipe is written with the objective of replicating the authentic kimchi flavours with kitchen staple vegan ingredients)

INGREDIENTS : –

• 1 medium head cabbage
• 3 tbsp salt
• 7 – 8 cloves garlic, grated
• 2 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 onion, roughly diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 cup radish, thinly sliced
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 1/2 cup paprika or Korean chili powder (gochugaru)

INSTRUCTIONS : –

1. Chop off and discard the core of the cabbage and cut the leaves into bite size pieces.
2. Rinse under running water.
3. Place the chopped cabbage in a large wide bowl and sprinkle salt generously.
4. Toss to well coat. Let it sit for 1 – 2 hours or until the cabbage is wilted.
5. Rinse the cabbage under running water. Drain and set aside.
6. Heat vegetable broth in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Whisk in the rice flour and cook until it starts to thicken.
7. Stir in the sugar and cook until it has dissolved.
8. Allow the mixture to slightly cool before stirring in the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, paprika, ginger and garlic. Mix well to form a marinade.
9. To a large bowl, add the cabbage, onion, carrot and spring onion. Add the marinade and stir to evenly coat.
10. Pack the kimchi tightly in a mason jar or a glass jar and press down to release any air bubbles. Add any remaining vegetable broth or salt water, making sure that all the vegetables are fully immersed. Then seal the jars airtight.
11. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 48 hours to 2 days for fermention. (The longer the kimchi is fermented, the tangier it gets). Transfer to the refrigerator.