Fresh Kimchi

3h 50m

Baechu geotjeori is a fresh, unfermented style of kimchi. It doesn't have the same amount of funk as an aged, long-fermented kimchi, but for everyday eating, it’s easy and practical to make. This technique of dry brining the cabbage first removes its moisture whilst breaking down the cell walls and seasoning the vegetable. The gochugaru slurry adds body and texture to the kimchi.

You can use kimchi to enhance sandwiches, ramen, and salads, or even eat it over a bowl of rice, or as a side for fried chicken.

At Insa, we make a big batch of geotjeori kimchi every week to serve as one of our banchans — side dishes that accompany a Korean meal.

Trim and remove the outer leaves of a 1 napa cabbage. Cut it in half
Cut each quarter into 5 cm slices. Weigh the cabbage and write down the weight, making sure not to include the weight of the bowl
Calculate 2.5% of the weight of the napa cabbage. Weigh out that quantity in salt and sprinkle over the cabbage
Mix the napa cabbage until no grains of salt are visible
Let it sit at room temperature for 3h to draw the moisture from the napa cabbage. Pour the liquid from the bowl every half hour
Add 1½ cup of water to a small saucepan
Add ½ cup of fine gochugaru pepper powder
Add ¼ cup of rice flour
Add 1 tsp of salt
Combine the ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly until it thickens. The gochugaru slurry is ready
Place the napa cabbage in a colander
Drain the napa cabbage by pressing and squeezing it by hand
Transfer back to the bowl and mix. The dry brined napa cabbage is ready
Calculate 2% of the weight of the napa cabbage that you wrote down earlier. Weigh out that quantity in gochugaru pepper and add to the dry brined napa cabbage.
Add 1.2% of white sugar
Add 0.5% of fish sauce
Add 1% of salted shrimp
Add 1% of minced ginger
Add 1% of minced garlic
Add 1 bunch of coarsely chopped scallions
Add the desired amount of the gochugaru slurry. If you like your kimchi thicker, add more slurry. Wear a disposable glove to mix it well by hand
Transfer to a glass jar with a lid
The fresh kimchi is ready. Store it in the refrigerator for up to a month
Enjoy!