Like, I want Mak Kimchi Right Now?
Hey, guys!
So I am currently watching the third episode of The Uncanny Counter when I had an intense craving for ramen and mak kimchi.
Doesn’t that happen to you, too?
You are watching Mr. Queen and you suddenly like burgers stat (lol).
Or you are watching What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim and you suddenly want to invite Park Seo Joon for ramen with kimchi.
Or you have an intense longing to eat savory Korean pancakes.
Have no kimchi? Make your instant mak kimchi!
According to my research, kimchi has lots of varieties. Of all the kimchi varieties, the most popular one is the mak kimchi.
You can find mak kimchi in Asian stores, supermarkets, and Korean delis just about anywhere. I know I can order it via foodpanda! (By the way, Baguio City has the yummiest Korean restaurants! Will be talking about them in future posts.)
So what is Mak Kimchi?
Mak Kimchi is simply napa cabbage kimchi which has been chopped before it is processed. For those who may not be aware, mak kimchi is simply napa cabbage kimchi which has been chopped up before it was processed.
“Mak” is a Korean word meaning “wildly, carelessly.”
You can make Make Mak Kimchi instantly.
So Mak Kimchi is probably the easiest and fastest to make!
An adulting, trying-hard to be cook namely me can make it! I bet you can do it, too.
Also, mak kimchi takes less time to ferment as compared to beachu kimchi which calls for whole or half-heads napa cabbage as ingredient.
By the way, napa cabbage isn’t that green, round thingie we love to call cabbage, OK?
Napa cabbage is what we Baguio City people call as wombok or Chinese cabbage. (See the photos on my recipe)
So!!!! Let’s make our instant mak kimchi!!!
(It won’t take you two hours, I promise. Besides, it is so easy to do I watched The Uncanny Counter’s Episode 3 while trying to do this).
This Instant Mak Kimchi is probably one of the easiest ways to make kimchi. This is not traditional kimchi, though, but I bet it comes close and will be perfect with your bowl of ramen.
Warning: Don’t keep your eyes on the screen when chopping the napa cabbage. Put your screen on pause.
You will need the following:
- 3 lbs (about 1 ½ kilos) napa cabbage, chopped into 1-2 inch size sections
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or use a teaspoon of sea salt)
- 1/3 cup sea salt
- 6 cups water
- Half a cup Korean red chili flakes (do not use other types of red chili flakes)
- Half a red onion
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ounce piece of ginger
- Half a head of garlic
Let’s start.
1. Cut the heads of the napa cabbage into 4. Slice them into 1-2 inch size sections.
2. In a bowl, dissolve the salt in water and place the sliced napa cabbage in it. Allow to stand for at least 2 hours or until the cabbage is wilted but still crunchy.
3. Wash in cold water twice and drain.
4. Now, for the kimchi paste! Using your food processor or blender, throw in the red chili flakes, garlic, onion, sugar, fish sauce, and ginger with a bit of water to make a paste.
5. You may need anywhere from 1 to 3 tablespoons of water so add gradually until you have a paste.
6. Toss the drained cabbage leaves in the red paste, making sure everything is well covered.
7. Place in glass jars or canning jars with the lid not fully closed and allow to ferment in room temperature for a few hours.
8. This recipe can be eaten on the same day! That was why I called it Instant Mak Kimchi. However, to make your kimchi taste better, allow it to sit out in room temperature for at least 3 days until it gets slightly sour. Refrigerate afterwards opening the jar every once in a while to allow air to circulate. Best at about a week!
9. Enjoy this kimchi as is, or pair with ramen! Better yet, make some kimchi fried rice! Here is my kimchi fried rice recipe.
I told you it was easy, right?
Instant Korean Mak Kimchi
Ingredients
- 3 lbs napa cabbage chopped into 1-2 inch size sections
- 2 tbsp fish sauce as a substitute, use a teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/3 cup sea salt
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 cup Korean red chili flakes (do not use other types of red chili flakes)
- 1/2 red nion
- t tbsp brown sugar
- 1 ounce piece of ginger
- 1/2 head garlic
Instructions
- Quarter the heads of the napa cabbage and slice into 1-2 inch size sections.
- In a bowl, dissolve the salt in water and place the sliced napa cabbage in it. Allow to stand for at least 2 hours until the cabbage is wilted but still crunchy. Wash in cold water twice and drain.
- Now, for the kimchi paste, simply process the red chili flakes, garlic, onion, sugar, fish sauce, and ginger in a food processor or blender with a bit of water to make a paste.
- You may need anywhere from 1 to 3 tablespoons of water so add gradually until you have a paste.
- Toss the drained cabbage leaves in the red paste, making sure everything is well covered.
- Place in glass jars or canning jars with the lid not fully closed and allow to ferment in room temperature for a few hours.
- This recipe can be eaten on the same day, hence it’s the instant version of mak kimchi. To make it taste better, allow to sit out in room temperature for at least 3 days until it gets slightly sour. Refrigerate afterwards opening the jar every once in a while to allow air to circulate. Best at about a week!
- Enjoy with ramen or make kimchi fried rice.
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