Homemade Keto Kimchi Recipe [VIDEO] (2024)

FAQs

Can I make kimchi without starch? ›

In my recipe, I used sodium alginate because it does not leave a slimy texture. Gum arabic, guar gum, xanthan gum can also be used, but the texture might be noticeable. // Sodium alginate is my go-to ingredient to replace cornstarch and rice flour.

Yes, kimchi is keto-friendly and an excellent choice for a nutritious low-carb diet like Healthy Keto®. Kimchi is very low in carbs and on the keto food list. One cup (150 grams) of kimchi contains less than one gram of net carbs, making it an exceptionally nutritious low-carb food you can safely enjoy on keto.

Cabbage and radish kimchi, a popular fermented vegetable dish, in particular were effective in reducing the risk of obesity and abdominal obesity in both men and women.

Luckily though, much like fermenting sauerkraut, making your own kimchi is a relatively simple and straightforward process. The best part is, you have total control over your ingredients, meaning you can leave that sugar at the curb.

If you've got some Napa cabbage and other ingredients for kimchi in the kitchen, but no rice flour, it's easy to use a potato instead. The microorganisms will happily dine on potato starch, so it is okay to swap out the rice flour for any kind of potato you have in your pantry.

This sweet rice porridge isn't crucial, though it's recommended by many — it just helps to spread the flavor better, and helps the cabbage to better absorb it. If you don't have mochiko flour handy, just use water instead, with a few added tablespoons of sugar to make up for the sweetness.

Keto Net Carb Diet. On the ketogenic diet, the "net carb" is the amount of carbs in a food minus the fiber and sugar alcohol. Fiber and sugar alcohol are subtracted because the body does not fully absorb them. The keto net carb diet limits daily carbohydrate consumption to 20-50 grams to induce ketosis.

Eating more than 50 grams of carbs may disrupt ketosis.

With keto diets, however, carb restrictions vary from person to person. Some people can eat more and still stay in ketosis, whereas others may need to restrict their carb intake more in order to stay in ketosis.

Keeping daily carb intake under 50 grams on the ketogenic diet is recommended, although some people may need to restrict their intake to 20-30 grams. Different tools, such as carb manager, MyFitnessPal, and NutritionLabel.com, can accurately track carb intake.

Kimchi spoilage and over-fermentation

It will continue to ferment at a cool temperature. If kimchi over-ferments, it will have a very vinegary odor and taste. It is not pleasant to eat raw, so it is often used for soups and stews. If any fermentation gets soft and slimy, then it is a sign of spoilage.

What are the cons of kimchi? ›

Kimchi is high in sodium, with about 500 milligrams per cup. That's more than 20% of all the sodium that you're supposed to get in a day. Too much sodium can raise your risk of high blood pressure. If kimchi isn't prepared or stored properly, it can cause food poisoning, especially in people who are immune compromised.

Along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, kimchi contains natural probiotic bacteria. If you eat them regularly, the probiotics in fermented foods can be beneficial to your gut microbiome. Studies suggest that eating kimchi on a daily basis could help to improve some digestive problems.

Studies show eating kimchi reduces cholesterol and lowers the level of blood glucose in the body. This is due to selenium and allicin in garlic (a main ingredient in Kimchi) that lower cholesterol levels and provide a protective effect of artery walls, reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack.

The basic ratio is two parts honey to one part kimchi brine.

Whisk it around until well combined and you're done! (The honey will taste as spicy as the kimchi you have, so keep that in mind.) Add more brine if you want your kimchi spicier and thinner, and less brine if you want to keep it thicker and less spicy.

Many kimchi recipes require special ingredients, but I like to stick to things that are available at most local supermarket. If you have a good Asian grocery store nearby, by all means go get some gochugaru (Korean ground chili), but a mix of regular chili flakes and paprika will work just fine.

Starch paste, one of the ingredients used in kimchi, facilitates fermentation by acting as a nutrient source for microorganisms during the fermentation process. Changes in microbial communities and metabolites were investigated to understand the effects of starch with varying amylose contents on kimchi fermentation.

The good news is, you can actually skip the rice porridge stage if you can't find glutinous flour, and you can substitute regular red chili flakes for the latter. We'll mention these variations when we get to the recipe section. If you're vegetarian, you can also omit the fish sauce and use soy instead.

Recommendation: You can use any type of flour and even cooked rice (you don't need to be rice flour. As a matter of fact, my Mom never uses rice flour — she just uses whatever flour we have on hand). Just create it into a paste and let it cool. For exact instructions, use my kimchi and kakkdugi recipes, liked below.

While questioning my Korean family and friends about kimchi, I have received all kinds of opinions. Some cooks swear by a little bit of sugar, others completely shun sweeteners. There are people who include carrots and there are people who wrinkle their noses at the idea.