Fermented Curry Kraut is sauerkraut flavored with curry powder and spices. It makes a delicious side dish for steamed rice and curries.
If you enjoy curries, you will enjoy this Curry Kraut with cabbage, carrots, peppers, and onions flavored with toasted curry powder and spices. It is very flavorful, slightly tangy, and very appetizing. You can reach for this convenient condiment or side dish stored in your refrigerator for between 4 to 6 months.
Flavored Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is basically fermented cabbage and you only need two ingredients to make it. You can flavor it to a certain extend, to your liking. My Bavarian Style Wine Sauerkraut is flavored with caraway seeds and wine. When I saw a similar Curry Kraut recipe from Fermenting Guide & Recipe Book that came with my Mason Jar Fermentation Kit (affiliate link), I knew I had to give it a try. The recipe was easy with cabbage, carrots, salt, and curry powder.
My version is flavored with toasted curry powder and whole coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds and I added peppers and onions on top of cabbage and carrots. I toasted the curry powder and whole spices to eliminate the “raw” taste of uncooked spices.
Toast and Crush Spices
First, prepare the spice by toasting them in a pan on the stove over low heat. Then, crush the whole spices with a mortar and pestle to release its oils and fragrance.
Prepare Cabbage and Vegetables
Quarter, core, rinse, and drain the cabbage. Slice the cabbage and salt it as you go. Add carrots, peppers, and onion, followed by the spices.
Massage The Cabbage To Release Its Brine
Give the cabbage and vegetables a good massage to release its brine. This will take about 5 minutes and another 5 more minutes using a wooden tamper or pounder to release even more brine.
Packing Prepared Cabbage and Vegetables Into Jars
Once the cabbage and vegetables are wilted and juicy, it is time to pack them into sterilized jars. Pack it down firmly with the wooden tamper or pounder but do not over fill. Make sure all the vegetables are submerged and there are no bits clinging to the top of the jar. Then, place a cut-out cabbage circle on the surface and weigh it down with a weight. Finally, place a silicone fermentation lid on the rim, and secure it with a Mason jar band.
Place those jars on a tray just in case the brine overflow the jar and let it start fermenting in a cool, dark place between 60⁰F and 70⁰F / 15⁰C and 21⁰C.
When Does Fermentation Begin?
Fermentation usually begins within 2 to 3 days. Bubbles will start to appear in the jar. Some liquid and CO₂ (carbon dioxide) will escape via the silicone fermentation lid. The lid may or may not puff up depending on how full you have packed the jar. If it does puff up, press it down and wipe off any liquid that may come out of the silicon fermentation lid. Allow it to continue fermenting in the jar for a few more days.
Taste Testing
Do a taste test after 6 days. The cabbage and vegetables should be almost translucent and they should have a bright and tangy flavor. If you prefer it to be a little more tangy, allow it to continue to fermenting until it reaches your desired flavor.
You can see that the brine is a little cloudy because of the curry powder before fermentation. After 6 days of fermentation, the brine is more clear and the cabbage is slightly translucent.
Refrigerate The Curry Kraut
Once the Curry Kraut is fermented to your liking, you can reseal the jar with a plastic lid or original lid and band and store in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 months.
Similar Tools Used in This Curry Kraut
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.
Masontops Complete Mason Jar Fermentation Kit
Masontops 8 PC Pickle Pebbles Glass Weight & Pickle Pipes Airlock Kits, Regular Mouth
Ball Regular Mouth Quart 12 Pieces Jars (32oz)
Ball Regular Mouth Mason Jars with Lids and Bands, (Quart, 32 Ounce) (Pack of 4)
Masontops Regular Mouth Mason Jar Screw Bands
Ball Leak-Proof Plastic Lids for Glass Mason Jars, (Regular Mouth, Pack of 6)
Granite Ware 7.5 Qt Strainer Pot with lid
Curry Kraut
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ tbsp curry powder
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1½ small green cabbage (about 3 lbs /1.35 kg)
- 1½ tbsp pickling & canning salt
- 2 large carrots (julienned) (6 oz/170g)
- 2 red peppers (sweet or spicy) (seeded and julienned)
- 1 small green bell pepper (seeded and thinly sliced)
- 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Pan fry curry powder over low heat on the stove for 3 to 4 minutes to eliminate raw taste. Remove and set aside.
- Pan fry coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds in a pan over low heat on the stove until fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a pestle and light crush for mortar to release its oils.
- Wash jars in warm, soapy water. Place the washed jars in a deep pot or canner. Fill the jars up to the top and the canner up to the same level as the jars with water. Cover the canner and bring water to a simmer (with small bubbles).
- Wash metal bands with warm soapy water. Drop them into the canner together with the jars. When ready to use, take them out from the canner with a pair of tongs. Dry them with a clean towel. If you are using plastic bands, wash them with warm soapy water but do not drop into canner.
- Remove and discard any blemish leaves from each cabbage. Peel off one whole leaf from each cabbage, rinse, and cut two circles (the diameter of 1 quart Mason jar) out of reserved cabbage leaves. Set aside.
- Cut cabbage into quarters and then cut off the cores from each cabbage quarter. Rinse and drain cabbage quarters thoroughly.
- Place one wedge of cabbage on your cutting board with cut side down. Slice crosswise as thinly as you can. Transfer sliced cabbage to a large bowl and sprinkle some of the salt over the sliced cabbage. Keep slicing cabbage, adding it to the bowl, and sprinkling salt in layers until all cabbage quarters are sliced.
- Add julienned carrots, red peppers, bell pepper, and onion. Sprinkle prepared spices and curry powder over the top.
- Toss, squeeze, and massage shredded cabbage and vegetables well to incorporate the salt, spices and curry powder evenly. This will take some work, about 4 to 5 minutes, and you should see some juices/brine being released. Use a wooden tamper/pounder to pound and mix the cabbage and vegetables for another 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are wilted and juicy.
- Pack a couple of handfuls of cabbage and vegetables into prepared jars at a time. Use wooden tamper/pounder to pack it down firmly. Continue adding and packing down the cabbage and vegetables until the jar is filled to just below the shoulder. The brine should rise up to the top. Do not overfill jar.
- Place a cut-out cabbage circle on the surface of shredded cabbage and vegetables to prevent little bits from floating up. Place a weight on the top to keep the shredded cabbage submerged in the brine.
- Wipe the rim of the jar, place a silicone fermentation lid on the rim, and secure with a Mason jar or plastic band. Place jars on a tray just in case the brine overflows the jar. Transfer to a cool, dark place to ferment with preferably an ambient temperature between 60⁰F and 70⁰F / 15⁰C and 21⁰C.
- Fermentation should begin within 2 to 3 days. As it proceeds, you will notice these changes:a. The cabbage and vegetables swell up so that the brine almost touches the lid.b. Pockets of gas appear in the cabbage.c. The color changes from bright green to the color of cooked vegetables.d. Bubbles appear on the surface of the brine.e. A sulfurous aroma emitting from the jar.
Taste Test
- After 6 days, open the jar, remove the weight and cut-out cabbage circle, and have a taste. The cabbage should be nearly translucent by now. The salty flavor should have diminished and be replaced with a bright and tangy flavor of the lactic acid.
- If you feel that the taste of the Curry Kraut is to your liking, screw on a plastic Mason jar lid and store in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 months.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestion For Curry Kraut
As I mentioned above, this Curry Kraut is fabulous with steamed rice and classic Malaysian style Chicken Curry. I also served it with some Cucumber Dill Pickles which I will be sharing soon.
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