Although this vegetable is humble in nature, you'll find it as the star ingredient in recipes all across the world. In India, Gujarati cabbage uses salt to extract moisture before cooking it with spices, lime and coriander, resulting in a healthy and fragrant dish. In Ireland, it combines with mashed potatoes, bacon and cream for the ultimate in comfort food: Colcannon. Across Asia, it is also used to make sweet Halwa with ghee, sugar, cardamom, milk and pistachio nuts.
You can also use this vegetable to make gut-loving, probiotic-heavy dishes, like sauerkraut and kimchi. From Eastern Europe and Korea, respectively, these traditionally fermented dishes use lactic bacterial acid to create a highly tasty accompaniment to any savoury meal.
Sauerkraut is very easy to make, and it only requires your basic cabbage, salt and some caraway seeds for flavour.
- Shred the veg in a food processor.
- Massage salt into it until a brine begins to form and reduces.
- Store the mix in a sealed, sterile jar for several days until fermentation occurs.
It tastes especially good with sausages and mustard.
