Fermented foods are wonderful for repairing your gut and rebuilding a healthy gut lining.
"Fermented foods are wonderful for repairing your gut and rebuilding a healthy gut lining."
I have talked before about how poor gut health affects your immunity as well as 8 common signs of an unhealthy gut. One of our recommendations for gut health is to eat fermented foods. So, here is a recipe for a fiery, delicious kimchi recipe to add flavour to many dishes.
Why fermented foods?
Fermented foods help restore the correct balance of bacteria by feeding the good bacteria. The other benefit of consuming fermented foods is over time your sugar cravings decrease as you starve out the bad bacteria which feed on sugar and refined grains and carbohydrates.
One theory in the field of microbiome research is the bad bacteria thrive off sugar and release cravings within your body to make you give them what they want. Clever bacteria. This means overtime as you crowd out these bad bacteria with nutrition your sugar cravings will lessen. This will help with energy, blood sugar balance and weight management.
Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. It is usually quite spicy, although making it yourself means you control the heat.
Serves many | GF, DF, RSF
Ingredients
- 1 head Napa cabbage, about 800 grams-1kg
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 7 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 3-4 tbsp Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) or chili paste - less if you don’t like spicy food
- 250 grams daikon radish, peeled and grated
- 3 spring onions, cut into 2cm pieces
Instructions
- Cut the cabbage into quarters lengthwise and remove the core. Cut each into strips 3 cm wide.
- Place in a large bowl with the salt. Use your hands to massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften. Add enough water to cover the cabbage. Place a plate on top and weigh it down with a heavy object. Let stand for 1 hour.
- Rinse the cabbage under cold water and then place in a colander to drain for 15 minutes. Repeat this step twice more.
- Stir together the garlic, honey, ginger, fish sauce, and Korean red pepper flakes in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.
- Squeeze out any remaining water from the cabbage and place in a large bowl. Add the daikon radish, scallions, and paste. Mix thoroughly, using your hands to work the paste into the vegetables until they are coated.
- Place the kimchi into a jar, pressing down until the brine rises to cover the vegetables, leaving at least 1-inch of space. Seal the jar with a lid.
- Let the jar stand at room temperature for 2-5 days to ferment. Check once a day, pressing down on the vegetables to keep them submerged. When the kimchi tastes how you want it, transfer to the refrigerator to store.
If you give this a go, we'd love to see the result! Tag us in your pictures with @bepurebenwarren for your chance to be featured on our Instagram account.
