Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [43]
I start you off in this section with simple recipes such as Napa Cabbage Kimchi, made by softening cabbage in salt water, then adding spices and setting aside for a few days to pickle.
For the recipes in the later part of this section, I recommend making a jar of Kimchi Sauce, a spicy red pepper paste, to keep on hand. When you find your favorite kimchi vegetables on sale, you can bring them home and make a jar of kimchi quickly and easily with this premade sauce.
Enjoy my simplified vegan versions of Korean-inspired kimchi as an accompaniment to any dish, on salads, even in sandwiches when you want to kick up the flavor from just everyday lettuce.
NAPA CABBAGE KIMCHI
MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS (½ GALLON)
PICKLING TIME: 2 TO 3 DAYS
This is the simplest recipe for making spicy Korean-style kimchi and will be ready to eat in about 3 days. Cabbage is softened in salt water, then spices are added. Cabbage is set aside for 2 to 3 days to marinate, ferment, and ripen.
If you don’t have Korean chili powder, just use the kind of red pepper flakes sprinkled on pizza. Grind it into a powder before using.
1 napa cabbage, cut crosswise into 2-inch chunks
½ medium-size daikon radish, peeled and cut into quarters lengthwise,
then into ½-inch-thick chunks
2 tablespoons sea salt
½ cup water
2 green onions, sliced into 2-inch lengths
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoons Korean chili powder
Place the cabbage and daikon pieces in a large mixing bowl.
Place the salt and water in a separate small bowl; mix to dissolve. Pour over the vegetables. Set aside at room temperature overnight to soften.
The next day, drain, reserving the saltwater the vegetables were soaked in. Add the green onions, garlic, ginger, and chili powder to the cabbage mixture, and mix well.
Tightly pack the mixture into a ½-gallon glass jar with a lid. Pour the saved saltwater into the jar, leaving 1 inch of space at the top. Tightly close the lid.
Leave the jar in a cool, dark place for 2 to 3 days (depending on the temperature and how pickled and fermented you want your kimchi). Refrigerate after opening.
Will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
PICKLED GREEN PEPPERS
MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS (½ GALLON)
PICKLING TIME: 2 WEEKS
Instead of softening in saltwater, peppers are preserved in soy sauce and vinegar. Enjoy these savory peppers whole or sliced and served as a side dish or accompaniment. Pickles will be ready to eat in 2 weeks.
1 pound Korean green peppers or Anaheim chiles, washed
¾ cup Nama Shoyu
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup filtered water
2 tablespoons agave syrup
Place the peppers in a ½-gallon glass jar with a lid. Add the Nama Shoyu and vinegar.
In a small bowl, mix the water and agave syrup well. Pour over the peppers.
Tightly close the jar and store in a cool, dark, dry place for 2 weeks. Refrigerate after opening.
Will keep in the fridge for at least a couple of months.
SPICY KOREAN CUCUMBER SLICES
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
PICKLING TIME: 10 MINUTES
Sliced cucumbers are softened in salt, then spiced with red pepper, tart vinegar, sweet agave, and sesame oil. I prefer using toasted sesame oil for the flavor. If you want to keep this raw, just substitute with raw sesame oil and some sesame seeds. If you don’t have Korean chili powder, just use red pepper flakes ground into a powder instead.
This pickle requires no pickling time and is ready to eat after about 10 minutes of softening time.
2 cups cucumbers, unpeeled, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Korean chili powder, or to taste
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon agave syrup
3 tablespoons julienned carrots
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Place the cucumbers in a mixing bowl and toss to coat with the salt. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to soften and release liquid. Gently squeeze the excess liquid from the cucumbers, and discard the liquid.
Return the cucumbers to the mixing bowl. Add the chili powder, vinegar, agave