Homemade Kimchee & Kaktugee

Kimchee, my favarite korean side dish.
Kimchee, a classic korea food.
Kimchee, a very dynamic dish.
Very huge difference usage of ingredients and method varies from different kimchee master
Kimchee, can be the dish that I spend the longest time to master it.

Remember the first time when I made it, I used light soy sauce, and it turned out dark brown kimchee, really like rooten veggie LOL

Anyway it gets better consequently after I have been searching, combinng, experimenting and trying out different recipes available via cook books and from the web.

Have been tried with addtional stuff like asian pear, apple, fresh red chili, cincaro, raw plain sweet rice flour, but now I prefer to go simple by this receipe below!

 Ingredient for kimchee paste:

• fish sauce (doesn't matter made in korea or thailand)
• korean pepper powder
• garlic
• onion
• ginger
• green onion
• leeks, cut in 1 inch (optional)
• shredded raddish or carrot (optional, seasoned with salt for 10 mins, squeezed)
• sweet rice flour
• sugar & water

This way:

1. Mix sweet rice flour and sugar with water and simmer with middle heat, until it turned white color, that means it is cooked. Set aside, let it cold.
2. Meanwhile prepare garlic, onion, ginger, green onion (all minced). If you don't like the fiber texture of ginger, extract and just use its juice.
3. Add all ingredient above in to a mixed bowl when the paste cold off.

Notes: For kaktugee, you can skip leeks, raddish and carrot

Ingredient for Kimchee & Kaktugee:

• Chinese white cabbage (avoid choosing greenie leaf, as it taste a little bitter)
• White raddish
• Salt

This way:

For Cabbage kimchee

1. Wash and pluck cabbage leaf from it stem, remain a whole piece of leaf
2. Sprinkle salt over every single leaf evenly
3. Set for 2 hours, turn it around in between so that the salt soften the cabbage evenly
4. After the cabbage is soften (but not too over marinated, it is best to remain a little crunchy), wash with water and squeeze excessive water
5. Mixed with the kimchee paste that you have ready
6. Spread the paste evenly on the leaf and roll it piece by piece
7. Set them in an airtight jar with room temperature for 2 days
8. In between the fermentation process you can notice bubble in the paste that means it is fermenting (the sweet rice flour and sugar help kick start the fermentation process)
9. Taste and check if it is sour enough. If not up to your Sourness, let it ferment for longer
10. If it taste perfect, keep it in fridge, usually can keep for 1 month

 For Kaktugee

1. Peel off skin
2. Cut radish in cube size
3. Sprinkle salt over it
4. Set for 2 hours, toss it occasionally
5. Wash with water, to reduce the saltiness
6. Squeeze excessive water
7. Mixed with the kimchee paste above
8. Ferment it as step from above =D