Cabbage and carrot kimchi

Method

1. Trim the base of the cabbage, cut it lengthways into quarters, then into chunks around 3-4cm in size. Cut the carrot and mooli into matchsticks. Put all the veg in a large glass bowl and massage in the salt. Pour over just enough water to cover, then set aside for 1 hour, turning the veg halfway through. Reserve a mugful of the brine, then rinse the softened vegetables in a colander under cold running water. Leave to drain.
2. Cut the white part of the spring onions from the green, then put the white parts in a food processor with the gochugaru, garlic, ginger, sugar and fish sauce. Whizz to a thick spreadable paste, adding a splash of water if need be. (If you don’t have a processor, grate the ginger and crush to a paste in a pestle and mortar with the garlic, spring onions, gochugaru, sugar and fish sauce.)
3. Put the brined veg in a large glass or ceramic bowl and spoon over the chilli paste. Roughly chop the green parts of the spring onions and add to the bowl. Wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands, massage the paste into the veg until covered. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
4. Spoon the veg into the jar, packing it in as tightly as you can and leaving a 2cm gap at the top. Push the veg down and you should find that liquid pools over the top of the veg. If not, pour over 2 tbsp of the reserved brine, then seal the jar. Leave for at least 3 days out of the fridge to start fermenting. Have a taste – it should be ready (tingly on the tongue) from day 3-5. From then on keep in the fridge to slow down the fermenting, tasting it occasionally to make sure it’s still okay – the kimchi will get more intense (and eventually too sour to eat) the longer you leave it – see Make Ahead.