Pickled Purple Cabbage: A Sweet, Tangy, and Crunchy Healthy Side Dish
The Best Way to Enjoy Pickled Purple Cabbage Fresh and Crispy for a Long Time
Here’s a recipe for creating a healthy pickled cabbage dish using purple cabbage that stays delightfully crunchy for extended periods. Packed with beneficial probiotics, this pickled cabbage is great for gut health. Try making it with vibrant purple cabbage for a visually appealing and nutritious addition to your meals! It’s perfect as a filling for salads or sandwiches.
Main Ingredients- Purple cabbage: 2/3 head (approx. 1kg)
- Onion: 1/2 medium
Seasoning- Salt: 1 Tbsp
- Vinegar: 2 Tbsp
- Sugar: 1 Tbsp
- Dried Vietnamese chili: 1/2 Tbsp (optional, for a touch of heat)
- Salt: 1 Tbsp
- Vinegar: 2 Tbsp
- Sugar: 1 Tbsp
- Dried Vietnamese chili: 1/2 Tbsp (optional, for a touch of heat)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
To make the cabbage easier to handle, divide it into 2-3 sections and remove the core. Wash the cabbage thoroughly under running water. Then, thinly slice it into fine shreds, about 0.5cm thick.
Step 2
In a bowl, add 1 Tbsp of salt to the shredded cabbage and gently massage it with your hands until well combined. This step helps to draw out moisture from the cabbage, ensuring it remains crisp. Once seasoned, place a heavy plate or a fermentation weight on top of the cabbage and let it sit for 20 minutes to soften.
Step 3
Thinly slice 1/2 an onion into shreds similar in thickness to the cabbage. After 20 minutes, lightly squeeze out the excess liquid from the cabbage and add the sliced onion. Mix gently again and let it pickle for another 10 minutes. This process infuses the cabbage with the natural sweetness of the onion.
Step 4
To the pickled cabbage and onion mixture, add 2 Tbsp of vinegar, 1 Tbsp of sugar, and if you desire a hint of spice, crumble in 1/2 Tbsp of dried Vietnamese chili. Mix everything thoroughly. This is a crucial step for creating the sweet and tangy flavor profile.
Step 5
Pack the cabbage and onion mixture tightly into a sterilized heat-resistant glass jar. It’s ideal to cover the top layer with a few cabbage leaves. Finally, press down firmly with a fermentation weight or a clean plate to ensure the ingredients are submerged and not exposed to air. Allow it to ferment at room temperature for half a day to a full day, then refrigerate. You can enjoy it immediately, but the flavors deepen beautifully after a day of resting in the refrigerator.
