Spice of life

I was "this" close to naming my post "Spicy Ma-Ma", but decided to be classier :) I made kim chi the other day and wanted to share the recipe and pics! I altered the recipe from here because I didn't have sweet flour or oysters.



Recipe:

• 1 large size napa cabbages (about 8 pounds: 3.6 kg) 
• 3 carrots
• salt
•  1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, water
• 2 cups of hot pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fish sauce,
• 1 cup of  fresh garlic, minced

1. Cut cabbage and carrots into strips. Wash multiple times. Pour salt over both cabbage and carrots. I put them in 2 bowls to wash them thoroughly, but I eventually combined them for the next step.
2. Pour and mix salt over the cabbage and carrots. I don't have a set amount that I pour on, but the more salt you use, the quicker it'll zap the water out. Either way, I mix a bunch of salt and let it sit for 3-4 hours
3. Now to make the flour mixture. Combine flour and water in a pot. Turn on the heat to medium high heat and constantly stir. When the mixture starts to boil, it'll also start to thicken. When you see the first sign of it thickening, turn off the heat!!!! Add the sugar and stir until you think the sugar is melted. Put aside to let it cool down



Left: Flour mixture cooling; Right: What the cabbage/carrots look like after salting

4. Wash the cabbage/carrots thoroughly (3 times).
5. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. I use a big spoon to mix the stuff because I heard that the chili flakes can be harsh for your skin.
6. Put the kim chi in an air tight container. I used a plastic jar that I found in Walmart. I know that the best storage container would be made out of glass, but I couldn't find out with a good lid. We'll see how it goes!
7. Store in a cool dark place for 1-2 days (4-5 if you want it to be tastier) and refrigerate.

                                      

I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe! Try it out for yourself! Kim chi is good for your digestion and is super tasty :)