homemade-kimchi-recipe

Homemade kimchi recipe

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish composed mainly of fermented vegetables and chili peppers.

In fact it's a little more than that for a Korean, it's a little bit the equivalent of pickles in our country, it's the essential condiment for any fridge!

Any meal there is served with Kimchi. In terms of taste, it's between spicy and sweet, and it's delicious!

Most recipes are based on cabbage and include ingredients such as sugar, salt, ginger, onions, red peppers, garlic and radish.

There are also many alternatives in line with other vegetables. It's up to you to experiment and find your favorite kimchi flavor.

 

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF KIMCHI?

Our health starts in our intestines and a healthy intestinal flora would save many of us a lot of hassle. Numerous studies show a strong link between our intestinal flora and diseases such as autoimmune diseases, digestive disorders, nutritional deficiencies, heart disease, diabetes and much more.

Kimchi is prepared by fermentation, which is a good thing, although it may seem a little disgusting at first.

Eating fermented foods (such as tempeh, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha) is excellent for the intestinal flora and increases the number of beneficial bacteria, resulting in the following key health benefits :

• improvement of the "saddle".
• better digestion of food.
• generally good for the immune system.

Ideal for people who are dieting and trying to lose weight, kimchi is low in calories in addition to being very rich in essential nutrients and fiber.

In terms of vitamins, we find vitamins A, B1, B2, B12, and C, not to mention the panel of antioxidants and probiotics that are also well present.

Depending on the ingredients you include, you will benefit from a mix of nutrients based on essential amino acids, selenium, calcium, iron, flavonoids, carotenoids, capsaicin and even chlorophyll. In short...it's quite complete!

Kimchi is considered one of the healthiest recipes in the world (in addition to being one of the most delicious), in part because of its unique ingredients:

• garlic, which brings its lot of selenium and allicin when consumed. These substances can help keep your cholesterol levels at a safe level and keep your artery walls free of plaque build-up.
• chili pepper, which contains capsaicin. Capsaicin is an ally for people who want to lose weight. This chemical substance is known to aid in metabolism and in the consumption of excess energy stored in the body.

 

KIMCHI RECIPE: HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN AT HOME?

 

Making your own Kimchi is a great way to save money (it can be quite expensive at the grocery store and quite difficult to get) in addition to having total control over the ingredients (for lighter versions for example) and the "spicy" slider. The "real" Korean kimchi often sets your mouth on fire!

amazon-kimchi

 

 

On the ingredients side, there is a certain base to "respect" but the rest is very flexible for a one liter jar:

• 1 large nappa cabbage (also called Pe-tsai or Chinese Cabbage)
• 90g of sea salt
• 1 grated carrot
• 1 bunch of spring onions (or 1 onion or 1 leek or a few shallots)
• 3 to 5 cloves of garlic (depending on taste)
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
• 1 to 3 teaspoons of Korean red pepper powder
• 1 Daikon radish (large Japanese white radish, optional)

Some people add radish (pink, white or black), but also apples. As a general rule, you can add any rapped raw vegetables you like, personally I like to add red cabbage.

 

homemade-kimchi

 

Stages of realization

1. Coarsely cut the cabbage and put it in a large salad bowl with the other vegetables of your choice (julienned radish, chopped onions, grated carrots, etc.).

2. Mix the salt in 1 liter of water (the salt must be completely dissolved), this is called making brine, a mixture that will soften the vegetables (without salting them too much).

3. Cover your vegetables with your brine, then leave overnight before draining.

4. Meanwhile, prepare your spice mixture. Grate the ginger, chop the garlic and onions, add the chilli powder, etc.

5. Put this preparation in the salad bowl with your drained vegetables and mix with your hands (clean, eh!).

6. Transfer your kimchi to glass jars (tightly sealed so that no odours can escape during fermentation) and press down well until the paste or liquid covers the vegetables. Fill the jar almost to the top, leaving some space for expansion. Close the lid.

7. Let the jars ferment for about 4 days, unscrewing the lid each day to release some pressure.

8. Store in the refrigerator.

You can eat your homemade Kimchi alone or with rice, tofu or other preparations (some people put some in their hot dog for example).