In the spirit of hypocrites who started thousands of years ago “let thy food be thy medicine”, I’m going to claim that this paprika chumma is both a multivitamin and a condiment.
Here are some of the nutrients found in abundance in paprika: Iron: One teaspoon of paprika contains 6% of your daily dietary need of iron (based on a 2000 calorie diet). Vitamin C: Paprika has more vitamin c than an orange, and 6-9 times as much vitamin c as tomatoes. So it's an especially great condiment for the winter months. Vitamin A: One teaspoon of paprika contains 6% of your daily dietary need of vitamin A (based on a 2000 calorie diet). According to ‘Nourishing Traditions’ vitamin A is an all-important vitamin and is “a catalyst on which innumerable biochemical processes depend”. Vitamin B6: The same amount of paprika has 4% the daily requirement of vitamin B6. This vitamin, according to ‘Nourishing Traditions’, contributes to the proper function of over one hundred enzymes in the body. Deficiencies in vitamin B6 have been linked to diabetes, nervousness disorders, and coronary heart disease. Vitamin E: That same tablespoon of paprika will contain 5% of your daily requirement of this antioxidant vitamin. Vitamin E is needed for circulation, tissue repair and healing and retards the aging process. In addition, a very important chemical compound called capsaicin is found in the pepper plant family, from which paprika is made. Capsaicin is an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pain reliever (topically) and a digestive stimulant. The paprika chumma has other nourishing ingredients including extra virgin olive oil, black seed oil, probiotic apple cider vinegar, and natural sea salt, but we will not list their benefits here. This condiment/ multivitamin is very versatile: delicious on bread and in sandwiches, great as a base for a rub for meats and poultry, tastes fantastic with grilled vegetables and much more. It’s so easy to make and stores well. This is a very basic recipe, I suggest trying it out like this and then see if you which modifications you would want to make (add garlic or onion, cumin or turmeric, switch the ACV with lemon juice, etc.)
Fill a jar with sweet paprika ¾ of the way full. (I used a mixture of store-bought paprika and home ground dried sweet peppers). Add 1 Tsp of salt. Mix together. Add ⅛ cup of black seed oil (optional, if you have it is an amazing nutrient boost and adds a wonderful nutty smoked flavor). Add 3 tbsp probiotic vinegar of your choice, I used apple cider vinegar. Mix into the powder. Add olive oil and mix continually until a pasty texture is achieved. Label and store in the fridge.