By Krati Purwar
May 8, 2024
Watch any K-drama, and you cannot miss people making kimchi at home and relishing it with other Korean delights, including ramen. It is an achar equivalent in the country. The dish has developed a huge fan base in India, but if you are short of ingredients, here are a few native products that you can use.
Instead of using Korean cabbage and radish, you can use regular green cabbage or Napa cabbage and daikon radish to make kimchi at home.
To add heat and spiciness to kimchi, you can use Indian green chillies and red chilli powder along with Kashmiri red chilli powder for colour.
Turmeric is not a part of the traditional ingredients used to make kimchi. However, you can add a small amount for its colour and medicinal properties.
You can use regular garlic and ginger while making the mixture for kimchi. While garlic is for flavour, ginger will add a spicy kick to the recipe.
Instead of Korean fish sauce or shrimp paste, you can use mustard seeds powder to add depth to the dish and align it with the Indian palate.
Adding a pinch of asafoetida or hing to the kimchi paste will help you bring out the umami flavour. Its pungent aroma will help you replicate the flavours of the Korean version.
Much like the Korean recipe, you will need to use salt and sugar while preparing Indian kimchi. Instead of refined sugar, you can use jaggery as well.