Healthy Burdock Root Recipes

Burdock root belongs to the family of thistle and it grows in damp soil all over North America and England. It is a very healthy root, being a good source of potassium, and a moderate source of iron and calcium. Other nutritional values include a high content in magnesium, vitamins, and minerals as well. It is used in spring for 'spring cleaning', by consuming in the form of tea, after eating a lot of high-fat and high-protein food in winter.

It is also used to treat acne and eczema. There are a number of ways in which this vegetable can be consumed. It can be steamed, stir-fried, added to soups and stews, etc. We will now see some recipes, which you can utilize to make some healthy dishes.

This is a Japanese braised recipe, which is a great appetizer.

Ingredients

• Burdock Root, ½ lb.
• Carrot, ¼ lb.
• Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp.
• Sugar, 1 tbsp.
• Mirin, 1½ tbsp.
• Sake, ½ tsp.
• Sesame Seeds, 1 tbsp.
• Vegetable Oil, 2 tsp.

Method

• Make sure you clean the root well.
• Lightly shave the skin of the root and shred it into very thin strips.
• Then soak the strips in water for some time and drain well.
• While the strips are soaking in water, peel the carrot, and shred it into thin strips as well.

• After you have drained the water, heat oil in a frying pan and fry the strips in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Then add the carrot strips to the pan and stir fry all of them.
• Add all the remaining ingredients, apart from the sesame seeds to the pan and stir-fry well.
• Once the roots & carrots are well cooked, turn off the heat and sprinkle sesame seeds and serve.

Food was pickled in the old times, when people did not have refrigerators to preserve food, as vinegar used in the pickles stops bacteria from growing.

Ingredients

• Burdock Root, (cut into thin slices) 4 cups
• Brown Rice Vinegar, 1 cup
• Allspice, 2 tbsp.
• Bay Leaves, 2
• Anise Seeds, 1 tbsp.
• Fresh Ginger (sliced) 2 tbsp.
• Black Mustard Seeds 2 tsp.
• Cloves, 1 tsp.
• Salt, 1 tsp.
• Water, 1 cup

Method

• Steam the burdock strips on a steamer rack until tender.
• Drain water from the steamed strips in a jar.
• In a pot, mix vinegar and water together, and bring it to boil.
• Pour vinegar water mixture over the burdock and then add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

• Cover the jar and place it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before you serve it.
• This pickle lasts for more than a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

After reading about these recipes, you may want to know about its side effects. According to some reports, there can be some side effects of this vegetable on blood sugar levels, but the findings were based on the research made on animals, and was inconclusive about its effects on humans.