CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY

    When it comes to Stir-fries, I love the Chinese technique which uses a quick-cooking method with mild seasonings, which brings out the overall taste, flavour & keeps the very nature & texture of the vegetable added. Using a Wok, high temperature, quick-cooking & mild seasonings is all about Chinese style simple Stir-fries.

    Though I make several stir-fries inspired from the Veggies I eat at restaurants, this Cabbage & sausage Stir fry is an all-new recipe which I tried out recently. What caught my attention with this recipe was the combination of Cabbages & Sausages & adding simply hand-torn Cabbage Leaves fancied me a lot. No cutting, slicing or mincing - the Cabbage Leaves are hand-torn for this recipe. I am not sure whether it yields any extra texture, but the idea fancied me. What I felt after I dished out this stir fry was that the torn cabbage leaves were aesthetically appealing, and each piece remained separated. Which could not be yielded when cut by a knife(layers of cabbage tend to stay together, right?) And it is a quick stir fry which is cooked within 2 minutes, so if you add the centre ribs of the Cabbage Leaves, it may not get cooked within this time. 

    I usually use a variety known as Taiwanese Flat Cabbage, a variety locally available for this recipe. These Cabbages are oblate -shaped with loosely packed leaves. The regular ones(Green, white/purple Cabbages) have densely packed layers. Even Napa Cabbages or the Sweetheart Cabbages can also be used for this recipe. What we need is tender & thin Cabbage Leaves, which is easy to be cooked through. And mainly it should stay tender, crispy & sweet once cooked. And this quick-cooking method retains the nutrients too.

Few points to remember while cooking Cabbage & Sausage stir Fry:

• Use Taiwanese Flat Cabbage/Napa Cabbage/Sweetheart Cabbage for the recipe.

• Tear the Cabbage Leaves into irregular pieces( no need to cut it with a knife).

• Hot wok, cold oil - allow the wok to smoke off before pouring the oil.

• High flame & quick cooking

• Stir constantly & don't overcook.

    As the cooking technique uses a high temperature, the small-sized ingredients like garlic, ginger & spices may burn off easily. So, make sure to stir continuously throughout the process to ensure even heating & also it helps to avoid burning of the ingredients. And above all, don't overcook. Overcooking can make the cabbage soggy & will lose its crunchy texture.

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Cuisine - Chinese, Southeast Asian
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Low - Medium
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 2-3
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5 - 10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 3 - 5 Minutes


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HOW TO COOK CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY 

CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY

INGREDIENTS:

Oil - 1 Tbspn

Sausages - 3 Nos. 

Garlic - 3 Cloves

Ginger - 3 Slices

Dry Red Chillies - 5-6 Nos.

Cabbage - 250 Gms

Carrots - 100 Gms

Dark Soy Sauce/Oyster Sauce - 1/2 Tspn

Light Soy Sauce - 1/2 Tspn

Rice Wine Vinegar - 1/4 Tspn

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - a Pinch

CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY

PREPARATION:

• Clean, Wash & Hand tear the Cabbage Leaves & keep them aside.
• Clean, peel & wash the Carrots and cut them into 1" slices.
  
• Cut the Sausages into thin slices and keep them aside.
• Clean, Wash & cut Ginger into thin slices/strips.
• Peel & wash the Garlic and mince it. 
• Chop Spring Onions and keep them aside.

METHOD:

• Heat the wok until it lightly smokes off. 
• Then pour in the Oil.
• Snap off the Dry Red Chillies into 3-4 pieces, add it into the oil & give a quick stir.
• Immediately, add sliced Sausages along with Ginger & Garlic.
• Fry the sausages until it curls up a little.
• Now stir in the Cabbage, Carrots & the Spring Onions.
• When the Cabbage wilts, add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, Salt & Sugar. 
• Stir fry the ingredients for about 15-20 minutes or so on a high flame.
• Switch off the flame and serve this Cabbage & Sausage stir fry hot.

CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY

NOTES:

• I have used Taiwanese Flat Cabbages in this recipe. Can be substituted with Sweet Heart Cabbages/Napa Cabbages.
• The original recipe uses Chinese Sausages or Pork Belly. I have cooked this recipe with normal Chicken Sausages instead.
• Adjust the Red Chillies to suit your spice level.