Some time ago I was working with korean girl. She was making best pickles I tasted so far. It was korean kimchi - very spicy with a lot of garlic. It's not only tasty, but also very healthy. Because of the basic ingredients in kimchi, garlic, scallions and vegetables, kimchi helps to eliminate cholesterol and promotes intestinal health. Chinese paocai is very similar to my beloved kimchi, so here it is:
Ingredients:
2 Chinese (or Italian) cabbages
5-10 spring onions
2-5 carrots
1 tbsp salt (non-iodized sea salt is the best)
1 tsp Sichuan pepper
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 star anise
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 medium sized dried chilis
Preparation:
Tear a cabbage into small pices. Chop the rest of vegatables. Mix everything together, add salt & than rest of ingredients. Put it all in a jar, pour water (just to cover the vegatables).
Your paocai should be ready after 2 - 3 days. You can preserve it in the fridge even for several weeks. For some more, you can continue to use the same liquid, just dump in new vegetables.
