Korean · side, sauce
Small-Batch Easy Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Mak-kimchi)
Video by Maangchi on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Low carb (2.4 g net carbs) but not keto: 16% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
- Pescatarian
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: Crustacea, Fish. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
A classic napa cabbage kimchi packed with vegetables — radish, carrot, chives and green onions — at about 18 kcal a ¼-cup serve, with 1 g fibre and some vitamin K. It is salty (about 390 mg sodium a serve) and has only 1 tbsp sugar in the whole batch.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 16
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Quarter the cabbage, cut out the core and cut it into 1½-inch pieces. Toss in a large bowl with 6 tbsp kosher salt and 1 cup water and leave 2 hours, tossing every 30 minutes. 1:29
- Meanwhile stir the rice flour into 1 cup water and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until it bubbles and thickens. Add the sugar, lower the heat, stir 2–3 minutes more until slightly translucent, then cool completely. 3:12
- Blend the fish sauce, cooled porridge, salted shrimp, garlic, ginger, onion and pear until smooth. Stir in the gochugaru, then the radish, carrot, chives and green onions. 5:42
- Rinse the salted cabbage in cold water and drain, three times in all, then press out the excess water. 9:03
- Mix the cabbage into the paste by hand until every piece is coated. Pack it into jars, pressing down firmly to push out the air, and cover. 10:08
- Eat it fresh, or leave it at room temperature for 1–2 days until it smells and tastes pleasantly sour, then refrigerate (or ferment slowly in the fridge for about 2 weeks). Press it back under its juices each time you take some. 10:50
Tip. Makes about ½ gallon (about 2.2 kg, roughly 44 quarter-cup serves — our estimate). Maangchi adds a dozen chopped fresh oysters as an option. No salted shrimp? Leave it out. Top fresh kimchi with sesame seeds.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One portion, ¼ cup (50 g), gives you 1 of 44
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 58%
- Protein 25%
- Fat 17%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin K Source19%
23 µg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (57%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin C Source12%
11 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (75%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Show the other 13
Folate8%
31 µg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (78%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Vitamin B68%
0.1 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (52%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin A7%
60 µg a serve, mostly from gochugaru (74%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Vitamin E4%
0.6 mg a serve, mostly from gochugaru (90%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Potassium3%
150 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (49%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Calcium3%
35 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (68%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Iron3%
0.6 mg a serve, mostly from gochugaru (64%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Magnesium3%
14 mg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (28%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Zinc2%
0.2 mg a serve, mostly from gochugaru (42%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin B121%
0 µg a serve, mostly from fish sauce (84%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Selenium1%
0.5 µg a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (34%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Omega-31%
0 g a serve, mostly from napa cabbage (55%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Vitamin D0%
0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Maangchi; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.