← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 800 g napa cabbage (1 small head), stems sliced at an angle, leaves torn
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 4 Dried chillies, snipped
• 1 tsp Ginger, minced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Spring onion, sliced
• 2½ tbsp Chinese black vinegar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 2 tbsp Water

Method

1. Stir the sauce ingredients together in a cup until smooth.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the dried chillies for 20 seconds, until they darken slightly. Add the ginger, garlic and spring-onion whites and stir for a few seconds.
3. Turn the heat to high, add the cabbage stems and stir-fry for 2 min, until they start to turn translucent. Add the leaves and toss for 1–2 min more, until wilted but still crunchy.
4. Stir the sauce, pour it around the edge of the wok and toss for 30 seconds, until it thickens and glazes the cabbage. Scatter over the spring-onion greens and serve.

Tips

• Slicing the stems thinly on the diagonal helps them cook as fast as the leaves.
• Pour the vinegar against the hot side of the wok so it caramelises a little and loses its harsh edge.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Omnivore's Cookbook Ang Sarap