Pogi Kimchi is the traditional way of making Kimchi. Although Pogi Kimchi is usually meant to be stored longer than other kinds, you can still eat it before it is fully fermented. So you might want to try it in different stages of fermentation and find out your favorite period of fermentation (Just remember to not eat all of it before it is even fermented!) There's no right and wrong time to eat your Kimchi as long as you love the taste. And when it gets too fermented to eat it 'as is,' it would be the perfect Kimchi for Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew).

Basically, we will be pickling a napa cabbage and stuff daikon stuffing mix between the pickled Napa leaves. Daikon stuffing mix is all the ingredients combined together.
Let's start!

You will need the following:

Ingredients
Pickling
1 whole Napa Cabbage (Medium-size)
1/2 cup 'morton' salt
4 cup water

Daikon stuffing
12-14oz Daikon/Japanese radish, peeled
3 scallions, cut into 2 inches lengths 
1 oz ginger root, peeled and minced
2 tsp finely chopped garlic, purchase from a store or chop it at home
1 tsp 'morton' salt (for Daikon stuffing)
1 cup hot chili pepper flake(NOTE: COARSE powder! Not the fine powder!! & make sure it's MADE IN KOREA)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sweet rice power OR flour

***Young's Tip: You can adjust the amount of ginger, garlic, hot pepper, and scallions based on your taste.***

 

Directions:

DON'T wash it yet. Just take off all the dirty (holes..unappealing brown color) outer leaves.

Don't cut all the way through. Cut into Napa about an inch and then separate with your hands.

Split Napa into 4 parts. First split into two halves and then into quarters. Now we are ready to pickle Napa.

(**Remember 1/2 cup listed for pickling?) Just mix half of salt (1/4 cup) with water in a bowl first. 
Soak Napa in the salt water and take it out right away. Squeeze out excess water gently.

With the remaining 1/4 cup salt, sprinkle in between each Napa leaf. Make sure you control yourself so you'll have enough for all of them. Press Napa down firmly to help salt soak in....Let it sit for 2.5hrs.

WHILE YOU ARE WAITING FOR NAPA ...we will start preparing radish stuffing.

Mix 2 cups water and flour or sweet rice powder in a pot and stir till boil. Turn it off when it boils and let it cool. Set it aside. (This porridge like mixture is called "Pul" which is used to pull all the flavors together and to help fermentation process.)

Thinly slice daikon (or Japanese radish).

Combine chopped radish, hot pepper flake, scallions, minced ginger, garlic and mix in a large bowl. Next, combine fish sauce, 1tsp salt, and Pul (porridge mixture) and mix thoroughly (but gently) again.

(BECAREFUL!!!:There are 2 kinds of hot pepper flakes. One is coarse flakes and the other one is fine powder. Coarse flakes are the ones used for Kimchi. The pepper powder is for making hot pepper paste.
Also, make sure those peppers are from Korea. You should be able to find that information on the back in English.)

WHEN NAPA IS READY...

Wash Napa thoroughly in the running water. Wash 3-4 times. Make sure to clean between the leaves too. Drain.

Lightly stuff radish mixture into Napa leaves. (Here, you need to estimate equal distribution and don't overstuff).

Put stuffed Napas in a jar, smallest leaves facing up. (You should leave some room for fermentation or it will overflow from the jar). Press them down firmly to get rid of any air bubbles. When you put all Napas in, mix any remaining fallen leaves and stuffing together. Put the mixture in the jar to cover Napas (This is to aid fermentation process). YAY!!

Let the jar sit 24hrs in a room temperature and then store in the fridge.

Enjoy!!!

***Young's Tip: You can start eating Kimchi even before you let it sit for 24hrs.***

Kimchi Recipes:

Quick 'n Easy version Kimchi
Non Spicy American Cabbage Kimchi
Kimchi Fried Rice
Young Radish Water (YeoulMoo Mul) Kimchi
White Non-Spicy Kimchi

Other Recipes:
Bulgogi-Korean BBQ beef
Spicy Chicken Bulgogi
Korean style Pickl (Oiji)
Fresh Spicy Cucumber Salad
Fresh Tofu Salad
Stir Fried Eggplant
Mini Ground Turkey Pancake
Zucchini Jun

Kimchi Facts:

About Kimchi
Different Tastes of Kimchi
Korean Homemade Kimchi Part I-Most Popular
Homemade Kimchi vs Store Bought Kimchi

Popularity: 22%

Written on August 21, 2008 |