Cabbage Stir Fry with Garlic

Where This Goes Wrong

Heat the pan well before the cabbage goes in.

Cook in two batches if the pan is crowded.

Add the garlic late so it does not burn.

Stop cooking while the cabbage still has some bite.

Cooking Cabbage Stir Fry with Garlic

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1. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat until it shimmers.

   Mark done

2. Add the cabbage and stir fry for 4 minutes until it starts to soften and colour at the edges.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

3. Add the garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

4. Add the soy sauce, sugar and pepper and toss for 30 seconds. Finish with the sesame oil and serve.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

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Why the Method Works

When the cabbage hits the pan it should hiss, so heat the pan first. A hot wok or wide frying pan cooks the cabbage in minutes, leaving it sweet and tender with charred edges. A cool pan makes it steam, and steamed cabbage goes limp and smells strongly of sulphur.

Cut the cabbage into thin strips, no wider than a pencil. Thin pieces cook fast and absorb the sauce. Do not overload the pan. Cook in two batches if needed, because crowding drops the temperature.

Add the garlic after the cabbage has started to soften. If it goes in first, it burns before the cabbage is ready.

Soy sauce and a pinch of sugar go in at the end. Toss for 30 seconds and serve straight away, while the cabbage still has a slight bite. Add a few dried chillies with the garlic for warmth. The stir fry takes only minutes, so have everything chopped and ready before the pan is hot.

Storage and Reheating

Best eaten straight away. Keeps in the fridge for 1 day; the cabbage softens when reheated.

Ingredient Swaps

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Serving Cabbage Stir Fry with Garlic

• Steamed rice
• Fried egg
• Noodles
• Braised tofu

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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