Hungarian Kimchi
Do you love spicy Asian foods–but hate the MSG? Spicy is good and good for you, but burning your mouth hurts. Here’s an easy way to enjoy a Korean favorite dish at home using all natural vegetarian foods, but no chemicals, salt or sugar.
My eyes steamed, the first time I tried to eat Kimchi, the Korean side dish made with pickled cabbage and red hot pepper. Cayenne pepper is supposed to be good for circulation. Maybe it makes your blood boil. Anyway, it burns the tongue. It is very hard to find Kimchi without MSG, and lots of us non-Asians are allergic to it. Have you ever left a Chinese restaurant with a headache or itchy skin? It might be the MSG. Here is my own recipe for what I call Hungarian Kimchi made with paprika and no chili pepper. You can eat as much as you like because it contains neither sugar nor salt
Image via Wikipedia
Naturally fermented foods are helpful for digestion because they increase helpful intestinal bacteria. That reduces indigestion and improves absorption and weight loss.
Ingredients
- 1 cabbage
- 2 Tbsp. Hungarian paprika (sweet, mild or hot)
- (optional) 1 tsp. dried sliced tiny anchovies
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp. each turmeric powder, coriander seeds, cumin seeds
- 1 apple
Method
Wash all the fresh ingredients in hot water. Cut the apple and cabbage into bite sized pieces and mix them with the spices and garlic in a large bowl.
Wash with dish soap and water your hands and sterilize a large mouth jar that can be sealed air-tight. You can do that by pouring boiling water over the clean jar. A jar with a rubber rim around the top and a clamp on it is certainly airtight.
Pack the ingredients tightly into the jar and mash it down tight with a wooden or metal spoon. Leave about 1 inch at the top of the jar in case the ingredients expand.
Seal the jar and keep it in a cool dry place for 2 weeks. The natural enzymes of the cabbage will ferment the ingredients to make spicy mixture. After 1 – 2 weeks, do a taste test and adjust your spices as necessary. If it is not hot enough, add hot paprika or cayenne to taste. But be careful. The mixture will taste stronger as it ages!
It will continue to ferment–not spoil–as long as you keep it unrefrigerated. If it smells spoiled or looks very discolored, the mixture or your hands were not clean, so discard it.
Letha Hadady, a trained acupuncturist and herbalist, is the author of Asian Health Secrets, and other books, videos, and many articles on natural health and beauty. Her website is www.asianhealthsecrets.com She loves naturally fermented foods and makes her own saurkraut.
