How to make Spicy Purple Cabbage:

Radical Recipes and the Gazpachomonk present one of the most purple (Si Se Puede) dishes to ever arrive on your plate: Spicy Cabbage. Now this recipe, may not look so appetising when it's finished, but believe me when I tell you that in the last 17 years I've been cooking this dish, it's been one of the most scrumptious and requested dishes from relatives, friends, enemies and even customers. People just seem to love it.

Is it for the political connotations of the colour? Is it because of its Visigoth Roots (highly dubious) or maybe...just maybe because of the story behind the dish. Read on for a history and cooking instructions.

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The Origins of Purple Spicy Cabbage

Today’s special purple dish comes from the very heart of Spain. And when I say heart, I mean the old Visigoth capital itself - Toledo. I was living there back in 97 when I met a guy called Cecilio who had spent much of his youth - as have so many youngsters today - outside the country in search of work.

Cecilo and family emigrated to Australia in the 50’s and it was there that he grew up. As an adult though, he returned to the family home town of Toledo, and he brought with him some of his most interesting recipes.One day, he took me out to his patch of land on the outskirts of Toledo -  a spot reminiscent of films I'd seen of aborigines on their walkabout - bleak and featureless with little protection from wind or sun. 

Out there, in the middle of no-where, and as part of our walk-a-about, Cecilio heaved a few rocks together and lit a fire. Then placing an old grill across the stones he started cooking...and this was the secret recipe he taught me: Spicy Cabbage a la Visigoth 

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Spicy Cabbage: Ingredients

• Purple cabbage
• Garlic
• Couple of chillis
• Apple juice
• Soy sauce
• Cumin
• Salt
• Extras: rice, salad or buttered pittas

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Spicy Cabbage Recipe: Instructions

1. Chop and Fry up the cabbage, slowly for at least 25 mins in olive oil.
2. Add garlic and chilli
3. As the cabbage shrinks, and after about 15 mins, add the cumin
4. As the dish dries out, keep it moist with apple juice that also helps sweeten the taste.
5. Then as that dries out, add soy sauce. Stir and finally serve with buttered Pitta bread, rice and salad. 

Spicy Cabbage: Serving Suggestions

Don't make too little of it! Cook it in abundance, because I guarantee that if its not all eaten up immediately, (make sure you keep what is left) because by the following day when the spices have been absorbed in more, it will disappear even quicker. 

Remember too when serving the dish, that though people may turn up their nose when they first see it, (bah, they'll say, thats rabbit food)  - they'll be asking for a second plate once they've tried it. I promise you. 
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• Always serve it on the left hand side of your plate.
• Be careful what you eat with it. It's touchy about pacts.
• Get into purple things - Si se puede - it's the future. 

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More Radical Recipes from Spain

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