Japanese Pickled Cabbage

INGREDIENTS

For the Vegetables

• ½ head green cabbage (9.9 oz, 280 g)
• ½ Japanese or Persian cucumber (1.8 oz, 50 g)

For Pickling

• 1 dried red chili pepper
• 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (1 x 3 inches, 2.5 x 7.6 cm per piece)
• 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (2% of the vegetables’ weight; vegetable weight x 0.02)

For the Toppings (optional)

• toasted white sesame seeds
• soy sauce

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Discard the core of ½ head green cabbage and cut the cabbage into 1- to 2-inch (2.5- x 5-cm) pieces.
3. Cut ½ Japanese or Persian cucumber in half and peel. Cut in half lengthwise then into thin slices diagonally.
4. Remove seeds from 1 dried red chili pepper (if you prefer less spicy) and cut into rounds. When handling the seeds, avoid touching with your bare hands/fingers.
5. Toast 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) over open flame so that the kombu will become tender. Then, cut it into thin strips.
6. Put the cabbage, cucumber, chili pepper, and kombu in an airtight plastic bag and add 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
7. Rub with hands until the cabbage softens. Remove the air and close the plastic bag tightly.
8. Place the bag under the heavy object and let it pickled in a cool place or in the fridge for 2–3 hours.
9. Once the cabbage is pickled, take it out and squeeze the excess liquid out.