Water Kimchi (Mul Kimch)

Water Kimchi is a variety of kimchi that is made without red chili pepper powder. It's mild and has a refreshing taste. You can enjoy a well fermented rich in probiotic brine and eat vegetables same time.  It's kid friendly and great for people who can't have spicy food!

Ingredients:

Salting cabbage:

1 medium (about 3 pounds) Napa cabbage

1/2 to 3/4 cup coarse salt

Salting radish:

1/4 Korean daikon radish (cut to thin match stick)

1/2 carrot (cut to thin match stick)

1 tablespoon coarse salt (use less for fine salt)

1 tablespoon raw cane sugar

Brine:

1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour paste (mix with 1 cup water, boil over medium heat until turning  to thin paste and cool)

8 cups water

1/2 Onion

10 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger

1/2 Asian pear or apple

2 tablespoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon raw cane sugar 

Garnishing:

1 red pepper, think sliced

green onion, cut 1 inch long

Directions:

1. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters by cutting the cabbage only 3 to 4 inches of  the white stem part and gentle pulling apart by hand to make quarters.

2. In a large bowl, dissolve 1/4 cup of salt in 4 cups of water. Deeping each cabbage in the salt water to make the cabbage moistened, and transfer to another bowl.

3.  Sprinkle remaining salt over to the white part of each leaf of the cabbage and pour the salt water from the first bowl over the cabbage. Cover with lid or towel and set aside for about 6 hours. Rotating the bottom cabbage to top, half way through.

4. While waiting for the cabbage, make rice paste by mixing water and rice flour in the small pot to boil on medium heat and cool.

5. When the white parts are soft and flexible, Rinse the cabbage thoroughly 3 times or more until the rinsed water is clean.  Set aside on the colander to drain well.

6.  In a bowl, combine match sticks of radish and carrot with slat and sugar. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

7.   Cut the cabbage to bite size and transfer to airtight container. Add wilted radish and carrot, also sliced red pepper and green onion and set aside.

8. In a high speed blender, making brine by adding onion, pear, garlic, ginger and 4 cups of water, blend really well on high speed. Transfer to a big bowl and add remaining brine ingredients (rice paste, water, salt, sugar). 

Pour over the brine on the cabbage.  Mix well.

9. Leave it out at the room temperature for a couple days in summer time and 3 to 4 days in winter time but it depends on your house temperature.  Then store in the fridge. Wait 5 to 7 days to best result!