Geotjeori Kimchi (Fresh Kimchi Salad, 김치 겉절이)
My notes for this recipe
Kimchi is now enjoyed around the world, but in Korea it has long been an essential part of everyday meals. Traditionally, families prepared large amounts of kimchi before winter during kimjang, a communal practice of seasoning and storing vegetables for the colder months.
Today, many people make smaller batches at home or buy prepared kimchi. There are also many different varieties, depending on the vegetable, seasoning, region, and fermentation time.
This recipe is for geotjeori, a fresh napa cabbage kimchi that is seasoned and eaten soon after it is made. Unlike long-fermented kimchi, geotjeori has a crisp texture and a fresh, lively flavor. It is especially good with warm rice, noodles, grilled meat, or Korean soups.
How I cook it
Prepare the cabbage
Trim the napa cabbage and cut it so that the leafy and stem parts stay together as much as possible. Place the prepared cabbage in a large bowl.
Salt the cabbage
Dissolve 1/3 cup of salt in 400 ml of water and pour it over the napa cabbage. Let the cabbage sit for about 1 hour, turning it every 20 minutes so it salts evenly. In very hot summer weather, you can shorten the salting time to about 40 minutes.
Make the glutinous rice paste
Boil 250 ml of water with 1 piece of dashima for about 10 minutes. Remove the dashima. Mix 2/3 tablespoon of glutinous rice flour with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth, then stir it into the hot liquid. Cook while stirring until the mixture thickens slightly, then let it cool completely.
Make the kimchi seasoning
Mix the completely cooled glutinous rice paste with anchovy fish sauce, saeu-jeot, minced garlic, minced ginger, gochugaru, and sugar until you have an even seasoning mixture.
Rinse and drain the cabbage
Rinse the salted napa cabbage thoroughly 2–3 times under running water to remove excess salt. Drain very well so the kimchi seasoning does not become unnecessarily watery.
Season and serve
Toss the well-drained napa cabbage with the prepared seasoning mixture. Add the sliced daepa and mix gently but thoroughly until the cabbage is evenly coated. The geotjeori can be served immediately as fresh kimchi.
