From the first time I made sauerkraut I loved it, it was love at first bite. I always struggled in autumn with barrels of cabbage, large, with whole and heavy pieces of cabbage, plus I was worried that it wouldn’t come out, that it would soften, that it would spoil. I like sauerkraut as a salad in the winter, I don’t go crazy for sarmale (traditional romanian dish, with cabbage leaves and minced meat), so I didn’t need whole leaves, but chopped cabbage. Sauerkraut is exactly what I need, straight chopped cabbage with a little salt, crunchy and wickedly tasty. Cabbage is available almost all year round, so I don’t have to make whole barrels at once, but I take one large cabbage at a time, or two, and make 2-3 1 kg jars, which last me a month or two. There is no risk of it going wrong, spoiling or softening.
I like it so much, that I was looking for something to vary it, to be the same… but different. I saw the Korean kimchi recipe, it seemed quite complicated, but I liked the idea of adding flavor and spiciness to the cabbage. Then I thought how about putting other vegetables alongside the cabbage? And this wonder came out that I present to you below.
Ingredients
- 1 kg of chopped cabbage
- 15 grams of non-iodized mine salt
- A large beet
- 2 large carrots
- A head of garlic
- Ginger the size of a small walnut
- A spoonful of chili paste
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free oyster sauce
Recipe Method
Cut the cabbage and prepare it in the same way as for plain sauerkraut, add 15 grams of salt for every kilogram of cabbage and knead it until it softens well and looks like it is boiled. We leave it for a few hours until it releases the juice. Grate the beets and carrots on a large grater. We make a paste from the crushed garlic, finely grated ginger, chili paste and oyster sauce. We mix well the cabbage with all the juice, the grated vegetables and the spice paste, and put in the jars. We cram the content well, as with plain sauerkraut, so that it is all covered with juice. Leave for 2 days at room temperature, the jars with the lid on, but not tight, and placed on plates. When it ferments it will overflow. Red beet juice, which will not come out forever if it runs on the tablecloth. After 2 days, close tight the lids, wipe the jars and put them in the refrigerator. It’s a wonder full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and all possible goodies.
It can be eaten plain or added to other vegetable salads or greens, along with everything. If you don’t like spiciness, you can put less garlic or even not put chili paste. The oyster sauce gives it an exotic taste (make sure it’s gluten-free when you buy it), I like it, it works without it, but it won’t have the same flavor.
