A gloriously red and spicy kimchi with the most beautiful glutinous texture ready in 30 minutes made with a delightful vegan fish sauce (from pineapple juice). A must in every pantry/fridge! Get your ferment on!
Wash, drain, trim and quarter a whole wombok. Cut each quarter into 3 cm slices.
Bring water and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Place cabbage in a large, wide and deep bowl (I use an enamel basin). Cover with salted boiling water for 20 minutes.
Drain water. Rinse. Drain. Return cabbage back to the bowl.
While the cabbage is soaking, place rice flour, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat on medium-low, whisking until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Place the rice paste along with garlic cloves, vegan fish sauce, Korean pepper flakes, eschalot and ginger in the bowl of a small food processor. Process to a fine sauce.
Add kimchi sauce to the cabbage along with the spring onions, carrot and radish. Massage the cabbage and sauce together, mixing everything well.
Scoop kimchi in a large 4 litre glass jar with a tight rubber seal. Allow to ferment in a warm spot in your kitchen out of direct sunlight for at least an hour before consuming. I leave it overnight or 24 hours for it to reach the right pungency.
When ready, bottle your kimchi in smaller 750ml or 1 litre glass jars with tight seals and refrigerate for up to a month.