Paprika – what it is and what it is made of, how to use it in cooking

The content of the article

• Seasoning paprika
• How do
• Where to add
• Structure
• Beneficial features
• Views
• How to cook paprika at home
• Paprika Recipes
• Goulash
• Hungarian Paprikash
• Jalasle fish soup
• Ratatouille
• Paprika sauce
• What can replace paprika

When preparing dishes, seasonings are of great importance – they make food more fragrant, tasty and appetizing, add a certain zest to the combination of ingredients. Paprika is one of the favorite spices of cooks around the world. It is a crushed to a state of powder red weakly burning capsicum of the species Capsicum annuum. It has a red color, a characteristic odor and sweet taste with a slight hint of sharpness.

Seasoning paprika

This bright spicy spice was brought from South America, in which the plant first appeared. At first it was brought to Hungary, after which it was distributed throughout European countries, where it began to be in great demand. At that time, fragrant black ground pepper was very expensive, so red aromatic spice became an alternative, more acceptable option. Today it can be seen in the lists and photos of the most common spices..

What paprika is, everyone knows, but not everyone knows how it grows. The plant from which the famous spice is made belongs to the nightshade. This pepper grows on a low bushy plant, blooms with white flowers. Paprika (paprika) – a spice that is made from peppers by drying and subsequent grinding. Ready-made powder spices are both sweet and hot. Color varies from yellow to dark brown..

How do

Peppers for seasoning are grown in large fields. Such plantations are in the USA, Hungary, Spain, Turkey and other countries. This production takes a lot of time, effort. Each fruit is picked by hand as soon as it ripens. They are laid out to dry, and then hung on a thread, like garlands, in a sunny place. This method of drying helps preserve vitamins and minerals. With this approach, the characteristic flavor of the spice is preserved..

After the fruits have dried, they are subjected to mechanical grinding, resulting in a spicy powder. Production technology involves adjusting the level of severity by removing the internals of pepper containing capsaicin alkaloid. Many experienced chefs are of the opinion that it is better to grind the product yourself. So it retains its taste, useful properties in a larger volume.

Where to add

The presented spice gives the cooked dishes a characteristic pepper aroma. It is actively used in the national cuisine of Mexico, Spain, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary. In these countries, almost all chicken dishes are cooked with paprika. She is put to beef, lamb, pork. Many Korean and other salads are not without this spice. Spicy appetizers based on asparagus, carrots, cabbage and fish with this spice are very tasty..

Ground spice is added to meat soups, chicken sausages, homemade ketchup, eggplant boats, stuffed zucchini, goulash, Mexican snacks. It will complement the color and aroma of the pork knuckle baked in the oven. Some cooks put this spice when stewing vegetables – cabbage, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers. A great solution is to add seasoning to the nuggets marinade.

Structure

Useful and healing properties of paprika are explained by its rich composition. It contains alkaloid, protein, sugar. Its composition includes essential oils, zinc, silicon and a number of vitamins (A, C, P, B1, B2 and others). Bitterness is given with a substance such as capsaicin. Carotene provides color to the product. This seasoning is especially appreciated because of the content of vitamin C. In this indicator, it overtakes even lemons..

Beneficial features

Seasoning has a number of useful properties, for which, in addition to taste and aroma, it is especially appreciated by culinary specialists. Dishes with its addition are often recommended to be included in dietary and therapeutic nutrition. It should be remembered about contraindications to the use of spices (angina pectoris, allergic reactions, diseases of the kidneys, liver). This spice is used in cosmetology – based on it, scrubs, masks and creams are prepared. Traditional medicine offers many recipes with paprika. In the composition of dishes, this spice has a certain effect on the body..

• normalizes the state of blood vessels, makes them elastic;
• improves appetite;
• strengthens the immune system;
• fights flatulence, colic, contributes to the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract;
• due to the high content of ascorbic acid strengthens the body;
• saturates the body with calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other minerals.

Views

Not only its properties, but also taste and aroma depend on the variety and variety of this red spice. Experienced chefs skillfully vary the combination of spices with certain products. For example, semi-sharp, semi-sweet varieties can be used. Some of them tend to burn, so they are more often used for cooking stewed or boiled dishes. There are several main types of this seasoning:

• gourmet – differs in medium grinding, pleasant taste;
• pink – it is distinguished by unusual taste with a light speck;
• sweet – it has a delicate smell;
• semisweet – this spice of red-orange color is not used when frying dishes, since it tends to be caramelized in combination with oils;
• acute – has a yellow or red-brown saturated color, burning taste;
• tender – has a mild taste, a light red tint.

How to cook paprika at home

This spice is very easy to make at home, but many do not know what paprika is made of. It can be made from sweet red pepper. From one kilogram of this vegetable, a large amount of ground spices is obtained. Carefully follow the instructions for drying or smoking. Otherwise, the vegetable may simply go bad and become moldy. Before making paprika at home, you should prepare a container equipped with a tight-fitting lid, in which the spice will be stored.

1. It is necessary to take sweet bell pepper, rinse thoroughly and dry. Delete all the insides. If you plan to cook spicy spices, you can leave a small amount of seeds.
2. Cut the fruit into strips and put on a dryer. The pepper will be ready when the moisture is completely removed and it will become wrinkled and dry..
3. If desired, the drying process can be accelerated using heat treatment. To do this, pepper should be placed on a baking sheet and dried with the door open in the oven for about half an hour.
4. Grind the dried product in a coffee grinder.
5. Transfer the finished spice to a sealed container.

Paprika Recipes

This seasoning is added to many dishes. In order not to spoil the final taste of the culinary product, you need to know some of the features and subtleties of using bright spices. For example, in combination with some products, spice may lose its specific taste or aroma. Do not put it together with cilantro or onions. It is better to add it to dishes at the same time as tomatoes, dill or parsley. It is actively used in the preparation of seafood, chicken, pork.

It is added to vegetable salads, spaghetti, sauces. A delicacy such as stewed paprika is appreciated in the cities of Italy, where it is called peperonata. Gravy with basil and sun-dried tomatoes is prepared from it. Smoked product is used as a spice to flavor fish, sausages or meat. To create culinary masterpieces, you should know how this or that variety is combined with other components. So the green look is suitable for pasta or salads. The red variety of fruits is often used to make marinade.

Goulash

• Time: 50 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 5 Persons.
• Calorie content: 165 kcal per 100 g.
• Destination: Dinner.
• Cuisine: Hungarian.
• Difficulty: medium.

Goulash is a famous Hungarian dish. Its characteristic feature is the addition of a large amount of this spice, which gives it a red color and a rich aroma. Traditionally, goulash is very rich and thick. The meat goes well with aromatic seasoning. In order not to spoil its classic taste, you should not put tomatoes in it.

Ingredients:

• beef – 800 g;
• potatoes – 800 g;
• onions – 2 pcs.;
• bell pepper – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 2 teeth .;
• paprika – 3 tbsp .;
• cumin – to taste;
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp;
• hot pepper pod – 1 pc.;
• dill or parsley to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Fry the sliced ​​meat in a preheated pan..
2. Chop onion, garlic. Put in the meat and fry until golden brown. Pour cumin.
3. Dice potatoes and pepper into strips.
4. Add pepper to the meat. Add paprika, salt and pour hot boiling water. Stew for 5 minutes.
5. Add potatoes and hot pepper, previously sliced ​​in thin rings.
6. Cook under the lid for half an hour. After removing from the stove, the dish should be infused for 15 minutes.

Hungarian Paprikash

• Time: 60 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 6 Persons.
• Calorie content: 85 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: lunch or dinner.
• Cuisine: Hungarian.
• Difficulty: medium.

Paprikash involves cooking with sour cream sauce using bright red pepper spice. This dish turns out bright, rich, spicy and fragrant. Meat of veal, chicken, fish or other is used. Pork, lamb and beef are not used for this dish. Some people think that paprikash is made in the form of soup. This is not true. The dish is fried, then stew in combination with other ingredients..

Ingredients:

• chicken fillet – 800 g;
• sweet pepper – 2 pcs.;
• tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
• onion – 2 pcs.;
• sour cream of medium fat content – 250 ml;
• olive oil – 2 tbsp. l .;
• paprika – 2 tsp;
• flour – 2 tbsp;
• salt to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Chop onion, fry in olive oil until golden brown. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water, red spice.
2. Chicken fillet cut into small pieces and put to the onion. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Add diced bell peppers and tomatoes, salt. Leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add flour to sour cream, mix. Put to chicken with vegetables.
5. After 10 minutes, you can remove the pan from the stove. Serve with side dish.

Jalasle fish soup

• Time: 60 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Calorie dishes: 42 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: lunch or dinner.
• Cuisine: Hungarian.
• Difficulty: medium.

Hungary is the main supplier of such spices as sweet paprika. In this country, many national dishes include this seasoning. Halasle is no exception. This delicious fish soup has a bright red saturated color, a pleasant aroma of herbs and spices. In Hungary, there are so many options for making this soup. For example, in one of the regions of this country, they add thin home-made noodles to it. This soup is often used in the photo of the country’s culinary masterpieces..

Ingredients:

• fish – 1 pc.;
• tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
• Bulgarian red or green pepper – 2 pcs.;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• salt to taste;
• paprika – 3 tablespoons.

Cooking method:

1. Before cooking this soup, you will need to gut the fish. Cut the cleaned fillet with medium strips and set aside for a while in the refrigerator.
2. Brew broth based on head and bones.
3. Pass the finished broth through a fine sieve, put it again on the stove.
4. Add bell pepper chopped into thin strips into a saucepan with soup, tomatoes cut into cubes. Cook for half an hour.
5. Mash soup using a blender.
6. Put the pot on the fire again. Bring to a boil, add red spice and filet. After 15 minutes, the soup is ready.

Ratatouille

• Time: 30 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Calorie content: 39 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: salad.
• Cuisine: French.
• Difficulty: medium.

A traditional old recipe involves using ingredients such as zucchini, tomatoes, onions, garlic and bell peppers. In the modern sense, ratatouille is complemented by eggplant and various aromatic herbs. It is seasoned with rosemary or basil. Ratatouille is prepared with meat, chicken, cheese, spaghetti, rice and other products that make its taste more original. By adding smoked paprika to the appetizer, you can give it an incomparable mouth-watering aroma and a bright shade. Ratatouille perfectly complements the festive table and it turns out perfectly on the photo of the feast.

Ingredients:

• bell pepper – 2 pcs.;
• eggplant – 3 pcs.;
• paprika pepper – 0.5 tsp;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• tomatoes – 3 pcs.;
• garlic – 3-4 teeth .;
• vegetable oil – 40 ml;
• sugar, salt – to taste;
• parsley to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the eggplant into cubes, sprinkle with salt and leave for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness inherent in the vegetable.
2. Dice onion, tomatoes, bell pepper.
3. Put eggplant in a frying pan with heated oil, fry for 3-5 minutes. Do the same with bell pepper, after laying eggplant in a bowl.
4. Separately, fry chopped garlic with onions and tomatoes. When it gains a soft structure, add eggplant and pepper to them, add salt, sugar, chopped parsley and ground paprika. Instead of spice powder, you can add capsicum. To do this, thin slices should be cut 2 pods.
5. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Paprika sauce

• Time: 10 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 2 Persons.
• Calorie content: 312 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: sauce.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: Easy.

This sauce is served with stewed beef, baked pork or chicken. It goes well with other ingredients in sandwiches and hamburgers. It is used as a marinade for baking meat. To do this, lubricate them with meat and leave to infuse for 90 minutes. In order not to spoil the taste and aroma of this sauce, it is not recommended to add other spices to it. Otherwise, it will get a bitterness and a specific smell. It is important to remember that you should not store it longer than one day.

Ingredients:

• paprika – 0.3 tsp;
• sour cream – 2 tbsp .;
• mayonnaise – 2 tbsp;
• mustard – 0.5 tsp;
• dill greens – to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Before you prepare this sauce, you need to choose the right ingredients. It is better to take fat sour cream so that the taste of the sauce is more saturated. Mustard should not be very sharp.
2. Combine sour cream with mustard.
3. Paprika in mayonnaise.
4. After 7-10 minutes, mix both masses in one bowl and beat thoroughly. After 15 minutes, can be served or used as a marinade.

What can replace paprika

Bright spice has a unique aroma and color. If it is not at hand, you can replace it with other spices. For example, experienced chefs recommend using cayenne pepper in this case. It should be remembered that it is sharp, so it’s better to put it much less. Instead of a bright red aromatic spice, you can pour its smoked alternative into the dish. It will change the final flavor, but will be a great substitute for this seasoning..

If vegetable salads or snacks are being prepared, nutmeg or cloves are used instead of red aromatic spices. Such options will be a great addition to the dish, but will not be able to repeat the properties of spicy pepper. Vegetables will vary in both shade and smell. If the recipe for a meat dish contains red seasoning, it can be replaced with caraway seeds or ground ginger. Some cooks use chopped garlic instead of this spice. Do not put coriander or rosemary instead.