Kimchi

1. Choose larger glasses with a large opening (e.g. preserving jars) and look for a suitable “weight stone”. This can actually be a flat (clean) stone or, for example, an espresso saucer. The amount is enough for 2 half-liter glasses.

Salt the cabbage

1. Cut the Chinese cabbage into 1 – 2 cm wide strips. Remove the thickest leaf ribs from the kale and cut to the same size as the Chinese cabbage. Do not wash the vegetables until now because the salt will stick better. Mix in a large enough bowl and add 3 tablespoons of salt. Mix well and massage in the salt by kneading the mass. Let stand for 3 – 4 hours and repeat the massage every hour.

Congee

1. As long as the vegetables are permeating, measure 250ml of water into a saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of rice flour to the cold water. Wheat flour can also be used as a substitute – rice flour is better. Stir lump-free. Bring to a boil. When it boils, stir in 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring, until a porridge has formed. Then turn off the stove and let it cool down.

Remaining vegetables

1. Coarsely grate the other, not salted, vegetables on the grater and mix in another bowl.
2. Roughly chop the garlic and onion. The chillies are a matter of taste. With 2 chiles the thing already gets a very classy whistle. For those with a more delicate mind, I recommend half a chilli to a whole chilli. The original would be Korean chili powder from the Asian market, which shouldn’t be quite as hot (the Koreans use more of it for that :-)). Anyway, process into a liquid paste together with garlic and onion, paprika powder, fish sauce and ginger with the addition of 100 ml water in the food processor or with the hand blender (if necessary use a little more water).

Mix

1. Add to the bowl with the grated vegetables along with the congee. After about 4 hours, enough water was removed from the vegetables by the salt. Pour and drain. Rinse off with water. Then add to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix everything well.

Layer in the glass

1. Layer in glasses and press firmly. Place at least 3 finger-widths from the opening and place something on top (e.g. an espresso saucer). If necessary, add a little water if the mixture seems too dry. Let stand in the warm kitchen for 3 – 4 days. If after a day the first bubbles appear and the weight plate swims in the broth, you are on the right track. After 3 days you can already eat it. The kimchi has a much longer shelf life when chilled. A couple of weeks due to the lactic acid fermentation.
2. The matter is fermenting. So don’t turn the lid of the jar too tight. Check from time to time so that no pressure builds up. The recipe ends here. The rest is a little experience report!

Experiences day 1 – 3

1. Day 1: It’s in the kitchen, eyed suspiciously by me and nothing happens .——- Day 2: Actually, bubbles should now show up. Just not with my kimchi! A first doubt settles in: you did everything right. —– Day 3: Despite all doubts: the matter is fermenting. It took a day longer. I am still satisfied. I have bubbles and not only that – the glasses overflowed (there was no 3 finger-widths distance to the edge). Underlay the glasses with absorbent material.

Experience day 4

1. Defected again. Grab me a clean fork and get 3 or 4 forks of the kimchi out of each jar. The overflow should have been done with it. Opportunity to try the kimchi. It tastes first class, almost amazingly good. It still has bite and is still really hot. I like it that way. I recommend reducing the chilli to more sensitive palates (see point 4). The kale brings a slightly bitter note (like chicory), not unpleasant. But it doesn’t have to be more of it. What could have been more is the fish sauce (next time). The kimchi goes into the refrigerator and is allowed to continue fermenting.

Final remark

1. I actually always wanted to make sauerkraut … now it became Korean sauerkraut. Since the Chinese cabbage I bought was a bit small, I got the idea to mix it with kale. After all, cabbage is cabbage. And so, with the East Frisian palm, a piece of (Northern) Germany ended up in it again.