Cabbage Stir-Fry - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

How to use Chinese cabbage? ›

It's commonly used in dishes like kimchi, soups, or as a stuffing for dumplings, but there's a world of other ways to eat napa cabbage. Try it shredded into a slaw, tossed with noodles, or stuffed in a hearty wrap.

Cut the 1/2 head of cabbage into 4 wedges, core removed. they should be about 1 1/2"-2" on the wide side. Place in a steamer, side by side, one cut side down. Steam for 6 minutes, flip carefully& steam for a further 6-8 minutes.

To preserve its vitamin C content, cut and wash the cabbage right before cooking or eating it. Do you wash cabbages before cooking with them or do you just pull off the outermost leaves? I tend to use baby cabbages most of the time so I remove the outer leaves, cut in half and remove solid white core.

Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water. This also helps cut the pungent edge. Drain well before combining with other ingredients.

Adding baking soda to your boiling cabbage can help reduce the objectionable smell and maintain the green color long after when it typically turns grayish from cooking for too long. However, this may rid the cabbage of its nutritional value.

If you want to preserve these nutritional benefits, it's best to steam your cabbage. First, because steaming improves its cholesterol-lowering properties. Steaming also preserves more glucosinolates than microwaving, despite longer cooking time. Purple or red cabbage is a special nutritional powerhouse.

In terms of taste, Napa cabbage tends to be milder and sweeter, while green cabbage has a stronger, more peppery flavor. Additionally, Napa cabbage is commonly used in Asian cuisine, while green cabbage is more prevalent in Western dishes.

Napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis or Brassica rapa Pekinensis Group) is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas and Australia.

Chinese cabbage is also known as napa, napa cabbage, pe-tsai, wongbok, or chihli. This is a vegetable of major importance in China (over 300 000 ha grown), Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Grown as an annual crop, most cultivars are biennial and produce tight, compact, cylindrical heads.

Why is steamed cabbage so good? ›

Since steaming is a gradual way of cooking, it yields a more cabbage-y flavor without being overpowered by char. Steaming cabbage preserves its color, texture, and nutrients, and presents a natural flavor akin to a confit or a slow barbecue.

Allies against cabbage odors

For steaming or cooking in a pressure cooker, the most effective way to dampen the bad smell is to add a few bay leaves, a tablespoon of white vinegar or milk to the water. Or even a tablespoon of capers will work too.

Quarter the cabbage, remove the core and shred the leaves. Blanch in a pan of boiling salted water for 3 mins, then hold under a cold tap to cool. Drain well. Heat the fat in a pan and fry the shallots, rosemary sprig and garlic cloves for 5 mins until golden.

Alternatively you can slice the cabbage in half and remove the “core”. The core will look like a small triangle at the bottom of each half. Use a sharp knife to cut a triangle shape to remove it. Then cut the halves in half again, place flat side down and slice thinly.