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Curtido is an genuine Guatemalan cabbage slaw that mixes shredded cabbage, onion, carrot and peppers in a deliciously tangy, pickled dressing.
Fast and simple to make, it’s vital topping on pupusas, garnachas, tostadas and different conventional dishes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
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What’s Curtido?
Curtido (additionally referred to as encurtido) is a tangy, crunchy pickled cabbage slaw that’s vital at any correct Guatemalan gathering.
Whether or not you’re having a day snack with household or grabbing road meals in Antigua, when you’re consuming pupusas, garnachas, or grilled meats, curtido is not optionally available, it’s important.
At our ranch in Zacapa, of us will actually sit and wait till the curtido hits the desk earlier than touching anything. And they need to.
Curtido isn’t your creamy picnic coleslaw (strive our apple jicama slaw if that’s what you’re craving). Consider it because the Latin American model of kimchi or sauerkraut.
It’s evenly pickled and made to be served chilly or room temperature as a topping. It’s by no means eaten by the bowlful (we like it, however let’s not get carried away).
🌟 Tip: Asking for extra at a road meals stand or restaurant, curtido is pronounced kooɾ-TEE-doh.
Why We Love This Recipe
- It’s genuine: I realized easy methods to make curtido from my sister-in-law in Guatemala Metropolis. She runs her kitchen with the precision of a culinary drill sergeant (in one of the simplest ways). So that is an genuine recipe that’s been perfected at numerous household gatherings.
- It’s fast, straightforward and versatile: With recent greens and a easy selfmade brine, you’ll be able to whip it up with elements you most likely have already got in your kitchen.
- It tastes higher over time: A couple of hours within the fridge and this slaw turns into magic. Make it forward. It retains for days.
- Pairs with many dishes: It’s daring sufficient for grilled meats, shiny sufficient for pupusas or tamales and crunchy sufficient to face as much as a mountain of garnachas.
Substances
Cabbage: The star of the present. Stick to recent inexperienced cabbage, ideally younger and agency. It stays crisp longer and soaks up the brine fantastically. You can use pink, napa, or savoy, however they wilt sooner and received’t give that signature crunch. For a traditional Guatemalan curtido, inexperienced cabbage is the way in which to go.
White Onion: White onion is greatest for curtido as a result of it has a cleaner, sharper chew than yellow onion and doesn’t overpower the opposite veggies.
Carrots and Bell Pepper: Add sweetness and color.
Oregano: Go for Mexican oregano over Mediterranean as a result of its citrusy flavour with earthy, peppery notes (reasonably than floral) works completely with the tangy vinegar and recent greens.
Black Peppercorns: Infuse taste steadily into the brine with out overpowering it. They add a light warmth and fragrant depth that balances out the acidity from vinegar. This isn’t the time on your pink or inexperienced peppercorns.
White Vinegar: The tang that pulls every thing collectively. You may substitute rice vinegar or champagne vinegar for much less tang.
Salt & Sugar: The traditional stability of savoury + candy. Kosher or sea salt is greatest.
Garlic: Use native garlic (ajo criollo) when you can. Heirloom or red-skinned varieties are extra flavourful than Chinese language garlic.
Cilantro or Parsley: It’s an optionally available garnish.
Curtido Rojo and Different Variations
Guatemalan curtido is available in all types of scrumptious variations. Each cook dinner, road vendor and restaurant chef provides their very own twist. Some maintain it conventional, others go daring with sizzling peppers, herbs or each.
- Serrano Pepper for Bell Pepper: Many individuals substitute pink pepper with thinly sliced serrano or jalapeño. Even just a few slices will infuse the complete brine with warmth, so use with warning.
- Curtido Rojo: Curtido made with pink beets is a well-liked variation to serve with salted cod throughout Semana Santa. To make curtido rojo, boil 2 beets till cooked however nonetheless agency. Then peel, slice, and chop into small items and add on the closing step.
- Herbs: Add a teaspoon of thyme, a bay leaf or sliced scallions for a flavour increase.
- Veggies: Cauliflower, pacaya, and julienned inexperienced beans are additionally well-liked add-ins. Simply make sure to blanch them first earlier than tossing them into the combination.
- Radishes: Radishes are well-liked in a wide range of Guatemalan dishes corresponding to salpicón de res and chojín, as they add peppery warmth with out the burn. To make a radish curtido, add thinly sliced radishes earlier than serving. They don’t have to be blanched.
Tips on how to Make Curtido Guatemalteco
Please scroll right down to recipe card for full methodology and portions.
- Steps 1 and a pair of: Take away powerful outser leaves of the cabbage. Shred the cabbage finely and place it in a big mixing bowl.
- Add the grated carrots, thinly sliced onion and bell pepper.
- Steps 3 and 4: Toss every thing collectively. Pour boiling water over cabbage/vegetable combination and permit to relaxation for a couple of minutes till cabbage softens barely. Drain.
- Steps 5, 6 and seven: In a medium saucepan, carry 2 cups of water, vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic, peppercorns, oregano to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Let the brine simmer for 2-3 minutes to infuse the flavours. Enable it to chill to room temperature
- Pour the room temperature brine over the cabbage combination within the bowl. Toss properly to make sure all of the greens are coated with the liquid. Regulate salt and vinegar as wanted.
- Steps 8 and 9: Switch the combination to a glass bowl. Press the greens down to make sure they’re submerged within the brine.
- Enable it to chill to room temperature.
When you’ve got time, refrigerate for just a few hours to permit flavours to merge.
Nevertheless it’s truly able to get pleasure from immediately!
Serving Strategies
Serve curtido as a topping or aspect with conventional Guatemalan dishes corresponding to garnachas, tamales, and pupusas.
It’s usually served family-style so individuals can serve themselves and add as a lot as they like. I like it on just about every thing so will add it to sopa de albondigas (meatball soup), enchiladas and slow-cooked meat dishes like hilachas that may use some crunch.
Serve at room temperature (or barely chilled) to let the brilliant, pickled flavours shine.
Storage
It’s so fast and simple to make, there’s all the time a jar of curtido able to eat in our home.
Retailer it within the fridge inside a glass large mouth mason jar or bowl with a canopy. Attempt to maintain the cabbage submerged within the brine.
It would maintain properly within the fridge for as much as every week. Discard as soon as it turns into mushy.
Love this recipe? Please depart a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟score and a remark within the recipe card beneath! I’d love to listen to the way it turned out in your kitchen! Thanks!
Recipe
Curtido (Guatemalan Cabbage Slaw)
Guatemalan curtido is a standard pickled cabbage slaw that is an important topping on garnachas, pupusas, tamales and fish. It’s tangy, crunchy and filled with flavour.
Servings: 3 cups
Energy: 378kcal
Price: $7
Stop your display from going darkish
Directions
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Take away powerful outer leaves of the cabbage. Shred the cabbage finely and place it in a big mixing bowl.
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Add the grated carrots, thinly sliced onion, and sliced bell pepper. Toss every thing collectively.
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Pour boiling water over cabbage/vegetable combination and permit to relaxation for a couple of minutes till cabbage softens barely. Drain.
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In a medium saucepan, carry 2 cups of water, vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic, peppercorns, oregano to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.
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Let the brine simmer for two to three minutes to infuse the flavours. Enable it to chill to room temperature.
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Pour the room temperature brine over the cabbage combination within the bowl. Toss properly to make sure all of the greens are coated with the liquid. Regulate salt and vinegar as wanted.
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Switch the combination to a glass bowl. Press the greens down to make sure they’re submerged within the brine. Cowl and permit it to chill at room temperature.
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Though it is perfect to refrigerate curtido for just a few hours to permit flavours to merge, it is not completely mandatory.
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Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley (optionally available) and function a topping, a condiment or aspect dish.
Notes
- Use inexperienced cabbage as Savoy and Napa wilt too simply.
- Retailer lined within the fridge for as much as one week. Discard if it will get mushy.
Guatemalan Curtido Rojo (well-liked served with fish at Semana Santa/Easter):
- Prepare dinner and peel 3 medium beets. Cube into medium dimension (1/2 inch) items.
- It’s additionally well-liked so as to add blanched cauliflower, julienned inexperienced beans and pacaya (palm fronds) to curtido at Easter.
- Mix with the greens together with the brine.
Elective Add-Ins:
- Bay leaf (for depth of flavour).
- 2 sprigs thyme.
- Cauliflower (blanched).
- Pacaya.
- Serrano peppers thinly-sliced.
Notice: Dietary values are created by a web based calculator and are solely estimates.
Vitamin
Energy: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 15g | Fats: 2g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fats: 0.2g | Sodium: 2642mg | Potassium: 2313mg | Fiber: 32g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 23217IU | Vitamin C: 425mg | Calcium: 551mg | Iron: 7mg
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Whereas each use inexperienced cabbage, sauerkraut is fermented slowly over a number of weeks, growing a deep tang and funk. Curtido, however, is quick-pickled. It’s recent, shiny, and prepared in minutes, not days.
Not fairly. Whereas each are cabbage-based, curtido is often served as a tangy topping reasonably than a aspect dish like coleslaw. It’s additionally briefly blanched and pickled, giving it a softer texture and vinegar-forward flavour.
It’s normally eaten as a topping on pupusas, garnachas and tamales. Throughout Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Guatemala curtido rojo (a variation made with beets) is served together with salted cod.
The Spanish verb “encurtir” means “to pickle” and “curtido” is the title of a pickled slaw fabricated from cabbage, carrots, onions and different greens in a vinegar brine.
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