Pineapple cauli kimchi

Ingredients:

• 1kg green cabbage or Chinese cabbage
• 2 heads (600g) cauliflower
• ¾ cup (375g) coarse salt
• 1 cup (250ml) water 
• 1 pineapple, peeled and cubed
• Handful carrot, celery and/or spring onion matchsticks (optional)

Paste:

• ¼ cup (60ml) fish sauce 
• 6cm knob (35g) ginger, peeled and sliced
• 5 cloves (25g) garlic
• 4-5 tsp (20-25ml) chilli paste

Method

1. Cut cabbage into 6-10cm chunks and separate leaves.
2. Slice cauliflower, then break into small florets. 
3. Place cabbage and cauliflower in two dishes, spread them out and sprinkle over salt and water.
4. Rub salt into cabbage and cauliflower, massaging it in well, then cover and leave for an hour to draw out moisture.
5. Toss vegetables and massage again to ensure the salt gets into all the nooks and crannies. (The veg should start going limp). 
6. Leave for another hour and massage veg again. (The cabbage will start changing colour and become somewhat translucent).
7. Wash salt off veg – take care not to leave any behind or the kimchi will be too salty.
8. Mix washed veg with ¾ of the pineapple cubes and carrots, spring onion or celery (if using).
9. Combine paste ingredients in a food processor, add remaining ¼ pineapple cubes and blitz until smooth. 
10. Toss paste through veg. 
11. Transfer kimchi mixture into a sterilised jar. 
12. Using a clean spoon, push mixture down to pack it as tight as possible. A little bit of liquid should cover the top of the veg. 
13. Loosely place a lid on top – don’t screw on completely as the kimchi needs to breathe.
14. Leave at room temperature in a dark place for 4-6 days (the warmer the weather is, the quicker the process will go). Note: the veggies should be submerged in the liquid – if not, poke with a chopstick to push them down and compact them. If there is some spillage, the fermenting process is going well. 
15. When bubbles appear and the taste of the kimchi is to your liking, refrigerate and use within 2-3 weeks.