Beat the heat in Singapore: How to kimchi (almost) any fruit
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One kimchi paste, six variations of fruit kimchi. (Clockwise from top) Rose Apple, Pear, Apple, Cherry Tomato, Green Mango and Guava Kimchi.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
- Fruit kimchi is a quick, non-fermented alternative to traditional kimchi, perfect for hot weather. It's easy to make, requires no long waiting, and is great as a cold snack.
- Use one versatile seasoning paste for various fruit like apple or mango.
- Consume fruit kimchi within three days, as fruit quickly lose their crunch and exude liquid. Each recipe serves four to six as a snack.
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SINGAPORE – If you enjoy eating fruit like the Thais do, with prik glua, an addictive mix of salt, sugar and chilli powder; or if you sneak a little extra plum powder into your packet of cut-up guava; or dip wedges of rose apple in dark soya sauce pepped up with sliced red chillies, chances are, you will like fruit kimchi.
Making traditional whole cabbage kimchi is laborious. When the weather is hot, it sounds like too much work. Thankfully, there are quicker ways to make kimchi.
Think of mat kimchi, made with cut-up napa cabbage to quicken the process. Or geotjeori, non-fermented kimchi that is meant to be eaten immediately. Here is where fruit kimchi comes in.
I started seeing recipes for apple and tomato kimchi on my social media feeds about two years ago, and tried my hand at making them. They were so delicious that I started experimenting with other fruit. Along the way, I tweaked and retweaked my formula for the seasoning paste.
This is a great time of year to be making fruit kimchi. Lots of fruit are in season, and having something cold, crunchy, spicy and juicy in the fridge to snack on, or to have with meals, is a lifesaver. Plus, there is no salting, rinsing and waiting involved.
Well, you want to refrigerate the kimchi at least an hour before eating, so the flavours meld, but this is almost instant gratification.
Here, I have one seasoning paste and six ideas for you.
If you are new to making kimchi and need to buy ingredients for it, head to Aperia mall in Kallang, just because I can be reasonably sure you will find everything you need.
There is a Korean grocery store on the ground floor that carries pretty much all the ingredients – coarse gochugaru or Korean chilli flakes, fish sauce and plum syrup. The syrup, or maesil cheong, adds a gentle sweetness and slight tang to the kimchi. If you would rather not splash out on a bottle, use honey, but halve the amount because it is likely to be sweeter.
In the store’s refrigerated section, you will find bottled cincalok, or fermented krill. It is easier to find than Korean fermented shrimp. This ingredient is optional. I love the funk it gives to kimchi but know that not everyone will appreciate that.
Then head to the Thai supermarket on the same floor and get the fruit. If you are making green mango kimchi, look for Khiew Sawoey, meant to be eaten unripe. They are terrific. The store also carries rose apples and pink guava, should you choose to make those versions.
This hot season, I plan to experiment with more fruit. Slightly under-ripe pineapple, perhaps. Green papaya. Maybe starfruit. I would not use fruit like bananas, kiwi, chiku, ripe papaya and lychee (too soft); or berries, peaches and other stone fruit, and avocado (too soft and too expensive).
Just as quickly as you can make fruit kimchi, you need to eat it up fast too. None of these will keep for more than three days in the fridge. The fruit, especially pears, will exude liquid and lose their crunch. The seasoning paste, good for 800g to 1kg of fruit, can be halved easily. Or make the full batch of paste and use it to season two kinds of fruit.
Wear gloves when mixing kimchi to prevent your hands from turning red from the gochugaru.
Kimchi Paste
Ingredients for the kimchi paste (from left to right, top to bottom): sugar, salt, garlic, ginger, cincalok, plum syrup, gochugaru and fish sauce.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Ingredients
2 Tbs gochugaru
2 Tbs fish sauce (Korean, Thai or Vietnamese)
2 Tbs plum syrup/extract or 1 Tbs honey
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
½ tsp ginger, finely chopped or grated
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
Optional upgrade: 1 tsp Korean fermented shrimp or cincalok
Method
Wear gloves when mixing kimchi to prevent your hands from turning red from the gochugaru.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Measure out all the ingredients into a small bowl. Mix well and let the paste sit while you prepare the fruit and vegetables. This will allow the chilli flakes to hydrate. The recipe makes enough paste for 800g to 1kg of fruit.
Apple Kimchi
Apple Kimchi.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Ingredients
4 large or 2 jumbo apples, about 1kg (I use Envy apples)
1 stalk scallion, sliced 2 to 3cm on the diagonal
½ small brown-skinned onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 batch kimchi paste
Method
Get great results with Envy apples for kimchi.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Halve the apples, core them and cut each apple into four wedges (for medium apples) or eight (for large apples). Cut each wedge crosswise into two or three chunks. Place in a large bowl with the vegetables.
Add the paste and gently massage it into the fruit and vegetables, making sure everything is well-coated. Have a taste and add more sugar or salt if needed. Transfer to a container with a cover; refrigerate at least one hour before eating.
Green Mango Kimchi
Green Mango Kimchi.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Ingredients
4 unripe mangoes, about 1kg
1 stalk scallion, sliced 2 to 3cm on the diagonal
½ small, brown-skinned onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 batch kimchi paste
A green or unripe mango.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Method
Peel the mangoes. Slice off both cheeks of each mango. Cut each half crosswise into 2cm thick half moons. Slice off the flesh around the seed, cut into 3 to 4cm-long strips. Place in a large bowl with the vegetables.
Add the paste and gently massage it into the fruit and vegetables, making sure everything is well-coated. Have a taste and add more sugar or salt if needed. Transfer to a container with a cover; refrigerate at least one hour before eating.
Pear Kimchi
Pear Kimchi.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Ingredients
Brown-skinned Asian pear.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
3 large or 2 jumbo Shingo, Nashi, Nam Shui or other brown-skinned Asian pears, about 1kg
2 stalks scallions, sliced 2 to 3cm on the diagonal
½ small brown-skinned onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 batch kimchi paste
Method
Peel the pears, core them and cut into 3cm cubes. Place in a large bowl with the vegetables.
Add the paste and massage it into the fruit and vegetables, making sure everything is well-coated. Have a taste and add more sugar or salt if needed. Transfer to a container with a cover; refrigerate at least one hour before eating.
Guava Kimchi
Guava Kimchi.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Ingredients
3 medium or 2 large guava, slightly under-ripe, about 900g
1 stalk scallion, sliced 2 to 3cm on the diagonal
½ small brown-skinned onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 batch kimchi paste
Thai pink guava.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Method
Peel the guava. Cut into four wedges (medium guava) or eight (large guava). Cut each wedge crosswise in half (medium guava) or into three (large guava). Place in a large bowl with the vegetables.
Add the paste and gently massage it into the fruit and vegetables, making sure everything is well-coated. Have a taste and add more sugar or salt if needed. Transfer to a container with a cover; refrigerate at least one hour before eating.
Rose Apple Kimchi
Rose Apple Kimchi.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Ingredients
8 to 10 rose apples, about 900g
2 stalks scallions, sliced 2 to 3cm on the diagonal
½ small brown-skinned onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 batch kimchi paste
Rose apple.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Method
Trim off any bruised parts and quarter each rose apple. If they are large, cut into six or eight wedges. Place in a large bowl with the vegetables.
Add the paste and gently massage it into the fruit and vegetables, making sure everything is well-coated. Have a taste and add more sugar or salt if needed. Transfer to a container with a cover; refrigerate at least one hour before eating.
Cherry Tomato Kimchi
Cherry Tomato Kimchi.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Ingredients
800g cherry tomatoes
1 stalk scallion, chopped
¼ small brown-skinned onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 batch kimchi paste
Multi-coloured cherry tomatoes make for pretty kimchi.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Method
Halve the cherry tomatoes and place in a large bowl with the vegetables.
Add the paste and gently massage it into the fruit and vegetables, making sure everything is well-coated. Have a taste and add more sugar or salt if needed. Transfer to a container with a cover; refrigerate at least one hour before eating.
Each kimchi recipe serves four to six as a snack or side dish.
