As someone mentioned on facebook, this is a jar only a raw foodie would love!

Today I am going to show you how to make kimchi. It’s something I enjoy a great deal on top of salads or even straight out of the jar, however I forget to make it so it doesn’t make an appearance on Girl on Raw, if ever. This was the last time I made it.

Whenever I do make it I realise just how easy it is, and question why I haven’t made it in so long, so perhaps I’ll be on a fermented foods kick.

I’d love to make this in video form for you down the track but for now, you’ll have to just be happy with photos

Before I get started here are  just a few facts for you, if you are new to kimchi or fermented foods for that matter:

• Kimchi is a fermented food – um derr, I just said that
• traditionally a korean dish, typically served as a side to BBQ meats or other main dishes. There is a Korean saying that “a man can live without a wife, but not without kimchi.”
• so many varieties of kimchi however the mainstay ingredients are usually napa cabbage/chinese cabbage, garlic, chilli (flakes or cayenne pepper) and ginger
• can aid in digestion – is a great antidote to bloating, gas, constipation etc
• can help to prevent intestinal cancer and scavenges free radicals which are a precursor to cancer
• properly fermented kimchi will have more lactic acid bacteria than yoghurt – and yes that is a good thing
• strengthen your immune system – fermented foods are especially beneficial for those who have been on medications for a long period of time eg antibiotics
• other fermented foods include kombucha (I’m going to do a How To post on this in the near future), kefir, miso, sauerkraut & rejuvelac plus many more.

Kim Chi

Equipment:

Large bowl

Large glass jar with lid

heavy plate

plastic wrap

Ingredients:

1 Napa/Chinese cabbage head, shredded and keep 2 or 3 outter leaves intact for later in the process (I used regular green and red cabbage this time as they were begging to be used in my kitchen)

2 carrots, juilienned

2 T crushed garlic

1 T crushed ginger

1 T dried chilli flakes

sea salt

water

2 celery sticks 

Optional: finely chopped green onions, 1 T honey or agave nectar.

Place shredded cabbage and carrots into a large bowl with 2 T of sea salt. Use hands to massage each piece of cabbage & carrot thoroughly. You will notice moisture/brine beginning to release  from the veggies. Ensure you have covered every piece and massaged til limp.

Cover the cabbage with sufficient water to not have any cabbage unsubmerged, cover the bowl in plastic wrap and you may need to place a heavy plate on top to ensure all cabbage stays underwater.

Place in the fridge overnight.

The following day, drain all the water from the cabbage and rinse it thoroughly.

Place cabbage leaves back in bowl and add garlic,1 T sea salt, ginger & chilli flakes.

Use hands to really massage the vegetables with the garlic, salt, ginger and chilli flakes. Try to hold yourself off eating it now

The vegetable mixture at this point should feel a bit rubbery.

Once thoroughly well combined, place all vegetables and liquid brine that has gathered at the bottom of your bowl into a glass jar making sure you firmly pack down the vegetables, then top up with extra water so you have an least 1-2 inches of water above the vegetables.

Place the full cabbage leaves on top of the shredded mix to assist in keeping it submerged and wedge celery stalks on top to prevent the veggies from rising to above the water.

Cover the jar with an airtight lid.

Keep the jar outside of the fridge at room temperature, for 2-3 days. Then it will be ready to eat.

At this stage you need to store your kimchi in the refrigerator where it will continue to ferment slowly, become more sour and full of flavour and will last for up to one month.

Eat it on raw or cooked crackers, on top of salads, as a side dish to a cooked meal or as I do, straight out of the jar.

I’m already making my second batch!

Tomboy that wears makeup: based in Vancouver, Amanda has just become a certified raw chef! Yay! You can check out some of the dishes she has created here and here

One Arab Vegan: Nada was born and raised in Bahrain, of Egyptian heritage, now living in the UK whilst she completes her studies. I particularly love that she intends to veganise traditonal Arab dishes on her blog and here she talks about her top ten Arab Vegan foods.

Apples Under My Bed: Heidi (fellow Aussie holleeerr) writes about her life/food adventures with her fiance and her love of travel. As she is a dietician, I particularly love her philosophy of everything in moderation and her latest foodie posts from her trip the US.