Robin Ha’s Easy Kimchi

Adapted from Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes by Robin Ha. Read our review of the book.

Cook Korean! author Robin Ha describes this recipe as "an easy, modified kimchi recipe for beginners." It makes a ginormous amount of kimchi, but it can keep for up to a month in the refrigerator – and a small jar of it makes a great gift. You'll need a very large (96 ounce) glass jar and disposable food-prep gloves.  Gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes, often labeled "red pepper powder) and saeujeot (tiny fermented salted shrimp) can be found in Korean markets. Gochugaru may be labled "spicy" (that type is extra-spicy) or "for kimchi." This recipe was tested using gochugaru "for kimchi." Saeujeot can be found in jars in the refrigerated section.

Makes 12 cups.

1 4-pound napa cabbage

1/2 cup kosher salt

4 scallions, green and white parts, sliced on the diagonal

1 1/2 pounds daikon radish, peeled and cut into medium julienne

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into medium julienne

1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled

10 large cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 cup gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes; may be labeled "red pepper powder"; see note above)

5 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons saeujeot (tiny salted fermented shrimp; see note above)

2 tablespoons sugar

1. Trim the bottom of the cabbage and cut it lengthwise into quarters; cut each quarters into bite-sized pieces. Rinse the cabbage in cold running water, then drain. Place the cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle the salt all over it, then pour 2 cups water over it, and mix well. Let the cabbage brine in the salt water for 45 minutes, tossing it now and then for even salting. 

2. While the cabbage brines, place the scallions, daikon and carrots in a medium bowl. Crush the ginger and garlic together, using the butt of a knife or a mallet, and add them to the scallions, daikon and carrots, along with the chile flakes, fish sauce, saeujeot and sugar. Mix well. 

3. After 45 minutes, the volume of the cabbage has been reduced by half. Remove the excess salt by rinsing it for a long time in cold running water. Gently squeeze the water out of the cabbage and put it in a large mixing bowl. 

4. Add the scallion, daikon and carrot mixture to the cabbage, and, using food-prep gloves mix it all together really well. Pack the mixture into a clean 96-ounce glass jar to within an inch of the top. Close the lid and put the jar in a large plastic bag in case the juice overflows during fermentation. Leave the jar at room temperature for 24 hours, after which the kimchi will be ready to eat. It can be kept for up to a month in the refrigerator.