''Sinki'' () is a Nepali preserved
fermented
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...
vegetable, similar to
gundruk
''Gundruk'' ( ne, गुन्द्रुक ) is a fermented leafy green vegetable originated in Nepal. Alongside Nepal, it is also popular in Gorkhali or Nepalese diaspora households in India, Bhutan, Myanmar and other parts of the world. Th ...
. Gundruk is prepared from leafy vegetables but ''sinki'' is prepared from
radish
The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an Eating, edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman Empire, Roman times.
Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, be ...
tap roots.
To make this generations-old indigenous dish, aged radish slivers are pressed into a hole lined with bamboo and straw, then coffined by a cover of vegetation, rocks, wood and, finally, mud. After a month of bacterial curing, the resulting preserved vegetable is dried in the sun and stored to last a few years or more.
Processing and preparation
The process of making sinki starts by allowing the radishes to wilt for a few days. Then the leafy tops are cut off and the radish tap-root sections are shredded. If there is a large amount of radishes to process, rather than shredding by hand, a
dhiki is usually used to break them up. If the sinki will be made into a pickle after fermentation, instead of shredding, the radish is just cut up. Meanwhile, a 2– to 3–foot (0.6– to 0.9-metre) hole is dug, and a small fire is built at the bottom just before the storage period begins to warm it up.
After the hole is hot enough, the fire is extinguished and the bottom is lined with bamboo and straw. On top of this goes the radishes, which are then pressed down firmly with more vegetation, boards, rocks and mud to create a mostly air-tight barrier. It takes twenty to thirty days for the sinki to properly ferment by a series of lactic acids. Then finally, before it can be eaten, the sinki is dried in the sun.
Consumption
A common dish that utilizes sinki is a simple soup made by first soaking the fermented radishes in water for about 10 minutes, while chopped vegetables like onion, tomato and chili peppers are sauteed in oil with the strained radish slivers, with just a little salt and turmeric powder. This soup, which is commonly served with white rice, is made by adding water and cooking the vegetables for another 10 minutes until all the ingredients are fully tender.
Sinki is also consumed as a pickle. To prepare the pickle, the sinki is not dried. Instead it is directly mixed with spices and bottled.
Benefits
Sinki is considered good for digestion and helps to cure diarrhea and stomach pains.
In folk culture
Sinki, just like
gundruk
''Gundruk'' ( ne, गुन्द्रुक ) is a fermented leafy green vegetable originated in Nepal. Alongside Nepal, it is also popular in Gorkhali or Nepalese diaspora households in India, Bhutan, Myanmar and other parts of the world. Th ...
is a popular food among the Nepali people both in India and Nepal. It has inspired folk rhymes and songs.
See also
*''
Gundruk
''Gundruk'' ( ne, गुन्द्रुक ) is a fermented leafy green vegetable originated in Nepal. Alongside Nepal, it is also popular in Gorkhali or Nepalese diaspora households in India, Bhutan, Myanmar and other parts of the world. Th ...
''
*
Masaura
''Masaura'' or ''Masyaura'' () is a fermented sun-dried vegetable balls made with a combination of various or single minced vegetables with black lentils. It originated in Nepal and is made by Nepali diaspora throughout the world. The choice of ...
*''
Kinema
''Kinema'' () is a fermented soybean food, prepared by the Nepali communities of the Eastern Himalayas region: Eastern Nepal, and Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim regions of India. Kinema is a traditional food of the Limbu people, as well as p ...
''
References
Nepalese cuisine
Plant-based fermented foods
{{Nepal-cuisine-stub