Spring Onion Kimchi

Spring onion kimchi is an incredible side dish from South Korea. This delicious Kimchi is otherwise known as Pa Kimchi. It is made with spring onions and hot pepper powder called gochugaru. What I love about this recipe is that it comes together really quickly, and you can eat it right away!

You can make a small amount or a large amount of Kimchi. Creating a large amount will allow you to enjoy it for longer, and the flavor will ferment beautifully.

Did you know that spring onions grow abundantly in the Jeolla province of South Korea? Many Koreans eat Spring onion kimchi during warm summer barbecues. Spring onions have a naturally strong aroma and a bold taste. They pair perfectly with greasy meats, but that’s not the only way to enjoy this delicious Kimchi. You can also eat Spring onion kimchi with rice bowls, steaming hot soups, and stews.

Ingredients

Spring onions, Korean hot pepper flakes, Garlic, Ginger, Rice flour, Brown Sugar, Fish sauce.

Choose fresh spring onions to create this amazing dish and make it on the day. Korean hot pepper flakes are the most preferred option. However, they are not always available, and if you don’t have them on hand, use Aleppo pepper/Urfa biber, which is from Turkey. It offers a similar fruity taste to the Korean Hot Pepper Flakes (Gochugaru).

Rice flour is mixed with water to create a glutinous flour paste. The rice flour paste will mix with the Korean hot pepper flakes, creating a thick substance that coats the spring onions. Garlic and Ginger should also be mashed into a paste. These ingredients add flavour.

Please do not leave out brown sugar; you can substitute it with white sugar or honey. The sugary element is a key ingredient and goes hand-in-hand with the fish sauce. For a vegetarian option, you can use vegetarian soy sauce as an alternative to the fish sauce.

Prepare the ingredients: Thoroughly wash the green onions. Gather the rice flour, sugar, water, fish sauce, sesame seed oil and soy sauce.

Make the roux: Prepare a small pot without preheating it. Add the rice flour and water to the pot. Adjust the temperature to the lowest heat and continuously stir the mixture. The roux must not get stuck on the pot, which will begin to get burnt, so make sure to whisk continuously until the bubbles start to come up. When the roux bubbles, turn off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients.

Add the spices to the roux: Add sugar, gochugaru, soy sauce, and sesame seed oil to the roux, and stir the spring onion kimchi. The gochugaru used for this recipe is mildly spicy. If you are a fan of spicy food or spicy side dishes, use dried red chili flakes for that extra spicy kick.

As you mix the ingredients, the paste will begin to cool. To keep the green onions fresh and crunchy, make sure to bring the paste to room temperature before mixing it with the other ingredients. 

Coat the spring onions with the paste: This is the fun part, where you mix everything together. You can use a spoon, a fork, or chopsticks to do this. Coat all the spring onions with the gochugaru paste. Garnish the spring onion kimchi with sesame seeds to serve. 

What can you Serve with Spring Onion Kimchi?

A multitude of different main dishes can accompany this side dish. Consider Barbecues, White rice, Soups, Haemul Pajeon, Bulgogi Pajeon, Black Bean noodles, Japchae, and Bibimpap.

How can you Store Spring Onion Kimchi?

Store in the refrigerator for three to four days. Try to consume it as soon as possible. Freezing the spring onion kimchi is not advisable, as it will affect the texture.