As you know, I am about to seriously lose some baby weight and start an 8 weeks transformation program. A very big part of any fitness program is the diet. It is actually 70% diet and 30% workout. My diet has always been relatively healthy. I have cut out bread since last year (except the occasionally pizza, Nick loves pizza), rarely eat rice or noodles, and never fried anything at home. But let me tell you what my downfall is. Snacks. Yup, we have snacks every day after dinner. Chocolates, nuts, wasabi peas, and sometimes chips.
So today I’ve decided to make kimchi. According to Health.com, Kimchi is loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but its biggest benefit is its “healthy bacteria” called lactobacilli, found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion, plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections. It shall be my snack of choice for the next 2 months.
Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish of fermented vegetables, the most common is chinese cabbage (or sometimes called napa cabbage). Besides being served as a side dish as part of a meal, it can also be used in a variety of cooked dishes. Soups, pancakes, fried rice. The versatility of kimchi makes it great to use in everyday cooking.
INGREDIENTS
- 1kg chinese cabbage
- 1/2 cup salt
- About 12 cups cold water, plus more as needed
- 4 medium spring onion, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (use all parts)
- 1/3 cup chili powder
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger
- 7 medium garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons Korean salted shrimp (I use the malaysian chincalok instead, same result)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 2-inch pieces, discarding the root end. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt, and toss with your hands until the cabbage is coated. Add enough cold water to just cover (about 12 cups), making sure the cabbage is submerged.
Let it soak for 1 hour, then turn them around so the top side will go to the bottom, and continue to soak for another 3-4 hours
After 4 hours, they should be lifeless. You should be able to bend the leaves without snapping it. Rinse a few times and drain well.
Meanwhile, put the rest of the ingredients (except spring onion) into a blender. Blend until smooth.
Now back in the large bowl, combine cabbage, spring onion and the blended ingredients.
Using disposable gloves, toss well with your hands. You just gotta get your hands in there to make sure each leaf is coated. Taste and add some fish sauce if needed.
Transfer into an airtight container. You can eat it right away but the taste develops over time. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 24 hours (the mixture may bubble). Open the container to let the gases escape, then reseal and transfer it to the refrigerator. Refrigerate for up to 1 month. Enjoy!
That's a lot of work for a dish that look so simple~ Thanks for sharing it on my Foodie Fridays linky~