CABBAGE
1 head napa or savoy cabbage (outermost leaves removed // well rinsed)
1 Tbsp sea salt (plus more as needed)
VEGAN FISH SAUCE (from Vegan Miam)
2 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
2 Tbsp coconut sugar (plus more to taste)
1/4 cup pineapple juice (from a can)
1/4 cup warm water
CHILI SAUCE
3 Tbsp fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)
1 head garlic (1 head yields ~1/3 cup cloves)
1 small white onion (or sub 1/2 large per 1 small)
1/2 cup Korean red chili flake* (or ground // more or less to taste)
VEGETABLES optional
2 whole carrots (finely chopped or grated into matchsticks)
6 green onions (roughly chopped)
Quarter your well-rinsed and dried cabbage removing the bottom core
Place your cabbage in a large mixing bowl and begin packing a generous amount of sea salt in between each of the leaves.
Lift each individual leaf and sprinkling with sea salt. Repeat until all leaves have been salted.
Press down and let rest for 30 minutes.
Add both sauce ingredients to a food processor and blend.
Wash your hands and turn each section of cabbage over so it’s facing the opposite direction. Then pack down with hands to compress. You’ll repeat this process 3 more times (for a total of 4 times), waiting 30 minutes in between, and washing hands before touching cabbage.
Add sauce to chopped carrots and green onion. Stir. Cover and set aside.
Sanitize glass container.
Rinse each section of cabbage with cold water then pat dry.
In big mixing bowl, coat each leaf with the sauce (use gloves)
Place the coated cabbage leaves in the container, packing down to ensure there is as little air as possible between leaves. Continue until all cabbage is packed in, then press down very firmly to remove air. Top with clean, sterilized lid, and set in a cool dark place (such as a cabinet, not the refrigerator) to ferment for 36 hours to 1 week (up to 21 days).
Each day it ferments, open up and press down with a clean utensil, such as a spoon, to press out air bubbles and ensure the kimchi is immersed in liquid. A good sign of proper fermentation is seeing little bubbles in the sauce when you press down.
Store in fridge.