Japanese-style Pickled Nappa Cabbage
This is a serious Japanese method for Pickled Nappa Cabbage, but it is easy to follow. Nappa cabbage is the same as Chinese cabbage. Pickled with just salt, konbu, chilli and lemon rind (optional), it is quite easy to make. But it takes 7 days before you can enjoy one of the most typical Japanese pickled dishes.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 103 hr 47 min
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- ½ Chinese cabbage ((mine was 1.2kg / 2.6lb after semi-drying, note 1))
- 36g / 1.3oz salt ((note 2))
- 1-2 dried chilli finely sliced ((note 3))
- 1 sheet konbu ((5cm x 10xm / 2” x 4”) cut to thin strips)
- ½ lemon zest pieces ((optional))
- 1 non-metal deep and large container ((with a lid if possible, note 4))
- 1 plate that is little bit smaller than the opening of the container
- 1 weight that is twice as heavy as the weight of the cabbage ((Weight 1, note 5))
- 1 weight that weighs the same as the cabbage ((Weight 2, note 5))
Instructions
- 1
Halve the Chinese cabbage vertically (note 6) to have two quarters of cabbage wedges.
- 2
Place the cabbage wedges on paper (baking paper, newspaper, etc) and dry them in the sun for ½ day (note 7).
- 3
Weigh the cabbage and calculate the quantity of salt required (note 2).
- 4
Lightly rinse the Chinese cabbage and pat dry outside.
- 5
Sprinkle some salt on the bottom of the container. Sprinkle 1/3 of the konbu, chilli and lemon rind.
- 6
Take a wedge of the Chinese cabbage and sprinkle some salt between the stalks, particularly the bottom part where the white stalks are thick. I do this in the container.
- 7
Sprinkle the salt around the cabbage and rub, then place the cabbage in the container/pot, cut side down.
- 8
Repeat for the other cabbage wedge and place next to the first wedge in the opposite direction so that the tip of the cabbage wedge meets the stem-end of the first cabbage (note 8).
- 9
Scatter the remaining ingredients, including salt over the cabbage.
- 10
Place the plate over the cabbage and press down.
- 11
Place Weight 1 on the plate and place the lid on or cover with cling wrap. Leave it in the dark cool/cold place for 3 days.
- 12
You should see water has risen in the container (note 9). Replace the weight with Weight 2, place the lid on or cover with cling wrap and leave for further 3 days.
- 13
Transfer the pickled cabbage with the liquid to a smaller container or a zip lock bag and keep in the fridge until required.
- 14
Lightly rinse the cabbage (note 10) and squeeze the water out.
- 15
Place the cabbage on the cutting board, trim the end of the stem off and cut it into 4cm wide pieces.
- 16
Squeeze residual water out of each bunch of cabbage pieces and transfer to the serving plate/bowl. Scatter with the julienned lemon rind if you want.