Stir-fried Cabbage
I have strangely avoided stir-fried cabbage (炒高丽菜) my whole life, only to fall in love with it recently after eating a very delicious version at a zichar stall.
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Cabbage (the round one which is also called Beijing cabbage/高丽菜; not to be confused with the longish cabbage aka napa cabbage), like chayote, keeps well in the fridge, so nowadays I like to sneak it into my weekly groceries and cook them towards the end of the week. I added shiitake mushrooms, spring onions and carrots to my stir-fry cabbage, as I have these ingredients in my fridge at all times. Cabbage, when cooked right (not too raw and not overcooked) has a natural sweetness and mild crunch. It is a really healthy and delicious side-dish to complement any Chinese home-cooked meal. If you have chicken or vegetable stock, you can use it in place of the seasonings for a quicker and even more fuss-free cooking.
Stir-fried Cabbage Recipe
The cabbage used in this recipe is the round head type (aka Beijing Cabbage/高丽菜/卷心菜/gaolicai) and not the longish type aka napa cabbage. Cabbage, when cooked right (not too raw and not overcooked) has a natural sweetness and mild crunch. It is a really healthy and delicious side-dish to complement any Chinese home-cooked meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp dried shrimps (heibi/虾米)
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1.5 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 slices ginger sliced to thin strips
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms ends trimmed & discarded; caps sliced thinly
- 250 grams or half a head cabbage sliced to 2-cm width
- 1/2 carrot peeled and thinly shredded
- 2-3 stalks spring onions (green part only) sliced to 5-cm length
- 1-2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
(A) Sauce
- dried shrimps soaking water
- 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 dashes white pepper powder to taste
Directions:
- Rinse dried shrimps and soak them with 1/3 cup hot water in a small bowl until softened. Drain the dried shrimps, setting aside the soaking water. Pat dry the shrimps with kitchen towel.
- Heat oil in wok; stir fry ginger and dried shrimps until the latter is fragrant. Add garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds.
- Add mushrooms. Stir fry for 1 minute, or until they start to soften.
- Add cabbage and stir fry until they start to soften. Add sauce (A). Stir to coat everything evenly in the sauce, cover with lid and allow to simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add carrot, spring onions and cooking wine. Stir-fry briefly to toss the ingredients evenly together. Serve with steamed rice.
Noob Cook Tip
If you have ready chicken or vegetable stock (or you may also cheat with chicken cube), you can use that in place of Sauce (A).