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Indian-style kimchi is for days when you want your taste buds to have more flavours than the usual salad or achar that can offer. It’s crunchy, juicy, vibrant, and just the right kind of sour, the kind that makes your mouth turn watery before you even take a bite. Think cabbage, carrots, and radish soaked in a chilli-garlic-mustard masala, slowly changing into bold, zingy, and addictive after a few days. Every spoon has a mix of crisp texture, slight chew, and a fermented tang that instantly awakens even the laziest meal.
Pair it with dal-chawal, spread over a paratha roll, or serve it alongside fried rice; it instantly makes the plate more compelling. Loved for its spice and its gut-friendly usefulness, Indian-style kimchi is where Korean fermentation meets desi spice, making a jar of flavour that keeps getting better with every passing day.
What Is Kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish prepared by fermenting vegetables such as cabbage and radish with salt, chilli, garlic, ginger, and seasonings. It is tangy, spicy, slightly sour, and is filled with gut-friendly probiotics. To suit the Indian taste buds, you can give it a desi twist by adding some mustard oil, ajwain, or Indian red chilli powder, changing it into a spicy, pickle-style side dish for everyday dal-chawal or parathas.
Prep The Veggies
Begin by chopping cabbage, some carrot batons, sliced radish, and spring onions. Chop them into bite-sized pieces so that they are easy to mix and also eat. Sprinkle the salt generously, toss the vegetables well, and keep them aside for 1 to 2 hours. The salt will release the water, soften the veggies, and make them soak in flavour afterwards. This is mostly “achaar-style” pre-soak that creates that addictive crunch and juicy texture.
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Make A Desi Spiced Chilli Paste
Instead of the classic gochugaru, mix an Indian-style paste prepared with soaked dry red chillies, 5–6 garlic cloves, 1-inch ginger, 1–2 green chillies, 1–2 tsp mustard seeds, some turmeric, and a spoon of jaggery. Grind all this to make a thick paste with little water. This masala provides the kimchi a familiar achaar flavour and warmth that is smoky, spicy, slightly sweet, with that fermented depth growing over days.
Massage The Masala In The cabbage
Rinse and press the salted veggies to release excess water, but also keep in mind not to dry them fully; a little moisture supports fermentation. Now add the chilli-mustard paste and, with clean hands, rub it on every cabbage leaf and slice. The cabbage should be coated nicely, stained with red-orange paste, and aromatic. If you taste a piece, it will be sharp, salty, and spicy, but remember, fermentation will mellow and meld all the flavours together.
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Pack In A Clean Jar
Transfer the masala-coated veggies to a clean glass jar, pushing down firmly with a spoon or with your fist so that no air gaps remain. The natural brine should rise and almost cover the veggies, adding a splash of chilled, salted water if required. Leave a little space at the top. Cover loosely or use a cover that can unleash gas, because the kimchi will bubble as it ferments.
Ferment, Taste, And Store
Leave the jar at room temperature for about 1 to 3 days, depending on how cool or warm the kitchen is. Open the lid once a day to release the gas and also taste a piece; it should slowly change to tangy and deeply savoury, like a cross between achaar and classic kimchi. Once it strikes the favourite sourness point, transfer it to the fridge. It will keep developing for weeks, staying crunchy, spicy.
(Image Credit: Freepik)
