Pumpkin Kimchi (Hobak Kimchi) with Butternut Squash
A traditional Korean pumpkin kimchi made with kimchi (napa) cabbage and butternut squash. This balanced, slow-fermented kimchi develops deep flavor over time and is especially delicious when simmered into a hearty stew.
Servings: 2 liters by volume (around 2.1 quarts)
Equipment
- 1 2.5 - 3 liter-container 2.6 - 3.2 quarts
Ingredients
- 1 kimchi napa cabbage (about 1 kg)
- 400 g aged pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and seeded
Brining
- ½ cup Coarse sea salt 100 g
- 2 cups Water 2 cups 500 ml
Seasoning
- ¾ cup Flour slurry made with ¾ cup water + 1 tbsp flour
- ⅓ cup Gochugaru Korean red chili powder (20 g / about 5–6 tbsp)
- 1 thick stalk green onion about 50 g, sliced diagonally
- ½ medium onion about 80 g → blend with 2 tbsp water
- 3 cloves garlic (about 1½ tbsp minced, 12g)
- 1 thin slice fresh ginger (about 1 tsp minced, 4g)
- 1 tbsp saeu-jeto (Korean salted shrimp) (about 15 g), or substitute with 1 tbsp anchovy fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Anchovy fish sauce about 15 g, or regular fish sauce
Finishing
- ⅓ cup Water about 83 ml
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
Brine the cabbage
- Cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces.
- Dissolve the salt in the water and add the cabbage. Gently toss to coat.
- Turn every 30 minutes until the thick white stem bends easily without breaking.
- Rinse the cabbage 2-3 times and drain well.
Prepare the pumpkin
- Peel the pumpkin thoroughly.
- Cut it in half, scrape out the seeds and fibrous center, and slice into thin, bite-sized pieces (about 2 × 3 cm).
Make the seasoning
- Prepare the flour slurry and let it cool completely to room temperature. Mix in half of the gochugaru to let it soak in moisture.
- Blend the onion with 2 tbsp water until smooth. Add the garlic and ginger and pulse briefly, do not over-purée.
- In a bowl, combine the slurry, gochugaru, spring onion, salted shrimp, and anchovy fish sauce. Stir in the blended aromatics.
Mix everything
- Add the drained cabbage and pumpkin to the seasoning.
- Gently mix until evenly coated, taking care not to mash the vegetables.
- Finish by adding ⅓ cup water and ½ tsp salt, using it to loosen the mixture and rinse any remaining seasoning from the bowl.
Fermentation & storage
- Pack the kimchi tightly into a clean container.
- Leave at room temperature for 1-2 days to kick-start fermentation, then transfer to the refrigerator for slow, low-temperature fermentation.
- Once properly aged, this kimchi is delicious as is and especially good when cooked into a hearty kimchi-jjigae (kimchi stew).