Quick Kimchi recipe

A Korean meal is not complete without kimchi: a delicious side dish that consists of fermented vegetables with a tangy flavour and lots of heat from the peppers.

Served with every meal of the day, Kimchi is the national dish of Korea. According to the American magazine Health.com, kimchi is one of the 5 healthiest dishes in the world! So, what is kimchi? It is an umbrella term for all kinds of deliciously seasoned pickled vegetables. The best-known and tastiest kimchi is the kimchi made with Chinese cabbage. We have put together the recipe for quickly making kimchi yourself below.

Recipe for homemade Kimchi with sweet potato, algae and miso

INGREDIENTS:

1 Chinese cabbage
4 tablespoons of Khoisan fleur de sel
6 cups of water
1 sweet potato
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger
5 cloves of garlic, freshly grated, or Sonnentor garlic
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon of Sonnentor chilli powder
3 fresh red peppers, julienned
2 tablespoons of Algae Botanico mix
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
2 tablespoons of white miso paste
5 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of coconut blossom sugar Gula Java Brut
3 tablespoons of Curcumax Botanico

PREPARATION OF THE KIMCHI:

+ Cut the Chinese cabbage either in fine strips or in larger pieces. Let it soak in salt water overnight (at least 4 hours). The next day, rinse the cabbage well and keep a glass of the water used for soaking.

+ Peel the sweet potato and cut it julienne like you would carrots (e.g. with the help of a mandoline). Take a large dish and add the sweet potato to the drained cabbage.

+ Put all other ingredients in a bowl and mix them into a nice paste. Rub the Chinese cabbage and sweet potato with this mixture and a glass of the soaking water. 
Be careful with the red peppers! Don't rub your eyes - if necessary, you can wear gloves.

+ Put the mixture in a clean glass jar with lid, press firmly and keep adding until it's filled until about half a thumb under the rim. Let the mixture ferment in the pot at room temperature for 36 hours. After that, you can keep it in the refrigerator for 1 month. After having been in the fridge for 4 days, the kimchi can be eaten.

Why would you eat kimchi?

You can eat kimchi as a salad when it hasn't fermented and therefore isn't as spicy yet. Or, once it has fermented, you can add it to various dishes as a delicious condiment. Some use ketchup or applesauce, others swear by kimchi! Kimchi has a unique flavour that is hard to describe. You have to taste it to understand why not only Koreans, but also more and more people outside of Korea are becoming addicted to it. A plus-side to kimchi is that it contains very little calories and no chemical additives, unlike some greasy sauces. It gives a lot of flavour to your food and makes many dishes more delicious. And because it is fermented, it's still full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants! Enjoy your meal!