Unstuffing Stuffed Cabbage Rolls for Chinese New Year (What?)
By Nancy Eisman
Stuffed cabbage rolls originated in Eastern Europe, and they are a staple comfort dish of many childhoods, including mine. The only problem is that they are a bit labor intensive, i.e., soak the entire cabbage in boiling water, carefully remove whole leaves, make up the filling, fill the rolls, roll the rolls, make a sauce, and then bake or steam for 30-60 minutes.
Whenever I’m drawn to a dish, but want to make it easy on myself, I usually create a sautéed or stir-fried version with all of the flavors and less of the a hassle. Now stay with me here while a veer off in an Asian direction, inspired by Chinese New Year which begins this month on February 12. (Learn more about CNY here.)
By swapping out and adding in a few Asian ingredients I created de-stuffed stuffed cabbage rolls – Chinese style. Savoy cabbage, daikon radish, Chinese 5-spice, toasted sesame seeds, jasmine rice, and a sauce starring hoisin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy and sweet chili sauces, and a few squeezes of lemon juice, create the sweet and sour flavors and textures of the Eastern European original, with a Far Eastern flair.
De-stuffed Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – Chinese Style
Ingredients:
Sauce:
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce or sriracha
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots, diced
1 cup daikon radish, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
¾ teaspoon Chinese 5-Spice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 package soy ground
4 cups savoy cabbage, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
2½ cups jasmine rice, cooked
3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
In a large sauté or stir-fry pan, cook the shallots, carrots and daikon over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Stir in the Chinese 5-Spice, garlic and ginger and cook another minute.
Add in the soy ground and cook about 3 minutes.
Add in the chopped cabbage and the diced tomatoes and stir while cooking for another 3-4 minutes until the cabbage is tender.
Add in the cooked rice and stir to combine. Pour over the sauce and stir again.
Garnish with the green onion and sesame seeds.
Stuffed cabbage rolls originated in Eastern Europe, and they are a staple comfort dish of many childhoods, including mine. The only problem is that they are a bit labor intensive, i.e., soak the entire cabbage in boiling water, carefully remove whole leaves, make up the filling, fill the rolls, roll the rolls, make a sauce, and then bake or steam for 30-60 minutes.
Whenever I’m drawn to a dish, but want to make it easy on myself, I usually create a sautéed or stir-fried version with all of the flavors and less of the a hassle. Now stay with me here while a veer off in an Asian direction, inspired by Chinese New Year which begins this month on February 12. (Learn more about CNY here.)
By swapping out and adding in a few Asian ingredients I created de-stuffed stuffed cabbage rolls – Chinese style. Savoy cabbage, daikon radish, Chinese 5-spice, toasted sesame seeds, jasmine rice, and a sauce starring hoisin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy and sweet chili sauces, and a few squeezes of lemon juice, create the sweet and sour flavors and textures of the Eastern European original, with a Far Eastern flair.
De-stuffed Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – Chinese Style
Ingredients:
Sauce:
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce or sriracha
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots, diced
1 cup daikon radish, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
¾ teaspoon Chinese 5-Spice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 package soy ground
4 cups savoy cabbage, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
2½ cups jasmine rice, cooked
3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
In a large sauté or stir-fry pan, cook the shallots, carrots and daikon over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Stir in the Chinese 5-Spice, garlic and ginger and cook another minute.
Add in the soy ground and cook about 3 minutes.
Add in the chopped cabbage and the diced tomatoes and stir while cooking for another 3-4 minutes until the cabbage is tender.
Add in the cooked rice and stir to combine. Pour over the sauce and stir again.
Garnish with the green onion and sesame seeds.
