Kimchi

A friend had just requested for my kimchi recipe, which I totally forgot to blog about and hope that I don't forget the steps and the ingredients yet.. :p

Ingredients:

• 1 head of chinese cabbage/napa (roughly 1-1.2kg)
• 1 cup of coarse salt
• 1 sink of water or a big pot of it
• 6-7 pieces of korean anchovies (it is big and a lot more flavourful then the normal ikan bills)
• 3 cups of water
• half an apple - cut to small pieces
• a small piece of ginger (roughly 3cm x 1cm) - cut to small pieces
• half a big yellow onion - cut to small pieces
• 3-4 pieces of garlic - cut to small pieces
• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 2 pieces of raw squid, cleaned and cut to small pieces
• 1/4 cup of salt
• 1 to 1.5 cup of korean chilli flakes
• 3 tablespoon of sugar (i used brown ones)
• 1 leak - cut to 3cm length
• 1 carrot, julienned
• a bunch of spring onion - cut to 3cm length

Steps:

1. This first step need to be prepared a week in advance or you may buy ready made fermented shrimp (cencaluk) or fermented squid. Mixed the 1/4 cup of salt with the raw cleaned squid in a container. Leave it to ferment in the fridge for a week.
2. Cut the napa to small pieces of roughly 3x3cm size. Seasoned the sink of cold water with half the cup of salt. Next layer a layer of napa in it, sprinkle with the balance of the salt, another layer and sprinkle and repeat till all the napa is soaked in the cold water. Used something heavy to press it down. Soaked for at least 2-3 hours till the leaves are all lifeless and soft.
3. Rinse the napa off the salt water (at least three rinse) and dry it. You may keep the water to wash veggie or fruit instead of wasting it.
4. Boiled the 3 cups of water with the anchovies for at least 20mins. Leave it aside to cool.
5. Place the rice, apple, squid (if using shrimp, no need to do this step), ginger, garlic, onion with a little of the anchovies stock in the blender and give them a blitz till it is all smooth.
6. Stir in the mixture into the chilli flakes and sugar till even. If too thick add a little more of the stock. If using shrimp, add in now.
7. Mix the leak, carrot and spring onion into the chilli paste.
8. Now prepare your container to store the kimchi. I used a big container, you may do it in few small one.
9. Rub the chilli paste on the napa leaves evenly, piece by piece and layered it on the container. When you are done with all,  pour in all the stock to the chilli paste, mix it well and pour it over the leaves.
10. Leave the kimchi to ferment a day at room temperature before transferring it to the fridge to store. The longer it is outside, the more fermentation will take place.

My Version of Bimbimbap

After looking at someone posted her bimbimbap on Facebook, I felt like eating it, but since I'm not a fan and dont quite like bean sprout, let's do without it and have this instead.

Ingredients (to make two plate of medium eater):

• 1 cup of rice, cooked like normal
• a handful of choy sum (washed, cut to small pieces and you can either blanch in hot water or lightly fry in oil)
• a handful of julienned carrot (either blanch in hot water or lightly fry in oil)
• a handful of chinese cabbage (either blanch in hot water or lightly fry in oil)
• 250g of sliced pork (marinated in Korean BBQ sauce for at least 30mins in advance)
• 2 eggs (sunny side up)
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (for the sauce)
• 1 teaspoon of brown sugar (for the sauce)
• 2 teaspoon of sushi rice vinegar (for the sauce)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped spring onions (for the sauce)
• 3 cloves of minced garlic (for the sauce)
• 3 tablespoon of siracha chilli sauce (for the sauce)

Methods:

1. Prepared the rice and vegetables and arranged them either on a bowl or plate (your preference).
2. Pan friend the marinated sliced pork with a little oil till cooked, and arrange it on the plate too.
3. Top the arrangement with a sunnyside up egg.
4. Mixed all the ingredients for the sauce together and pour over.
5. Served. To eat, mix everything evenly and bon apetit.