*Vegan
Ever notice that the lines are always longer at the Korean taco trucks than the regular taco trucks? There’s one reason for that: The Korean tacos are topped with kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage condiment that sounds gross but tastes amazing. Just ask a Korean person (or a food-truck foodie).
The traditional way to make it is to bury it underground, but I live in New York so I don’t have a yard or the desire to look like a serial killer. This is the fastest, least stinky way to make kimchi—it only needs an overnight in the fridge to magically ferment. I used to sell it out of my kitchen for $15 per quart, but now you can get it for free.
½ pound daikon radish, peeled and sliced razor thin with a vegetable peeler
1 pound napa cabbage, cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
¼ cup kosher salt
1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger (my thumb is huge, so figure your thumb plus some), minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch scallions, washed well and thinly sliced (use both the white and green parts)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ cup rice vinegar
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1. Fill your biggest pot with water and bring to a boil. Sterilize a quart-size Mason/Bell jar in the water for 15 minutes. Keep the jar in the hot water until you’re ready to use it. Do not skip this step.
2. Put the daikon and cabbage in your biggest colander. Add the salt and squeeze it in while mixing well. You want to squeeze the salt in to get the water out of the vegetables. Cover with a towel, then the pot lid, and put a towel or bowl underneath to catch the water. Set aside until wilted, about 2 hours.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ginger, garlic, scallions, salt, sugar, vinegar, lime zest, and Sriracha.
4. Fill a bowl with water and dip the wilted cabbage and radish in to remove the salt. Do this 3 times, changing the water each time. Squeeze the excess water out of the cabbage with your (clean) hands.
5. Add the cabbage and daikon to the spicy mixture. Mix well.
6. Fill your jar with the kimchi mixture. Cram it in as tightly as possible so the liquid rises to the top of the kimchi.
7. Clean the lid, and seal the jar—make sure you have it perfectly sealed. (This is really important.) Refrigerate overnight. Now you have kimchi. Remember, it will get spicier and tastier each day that passes.