Hot And Sour Sichuanese Cabbage

This is from my well-thumbed copy of Fuschia Dunlop’s “Sichuan Cookery”. Tangy with rice vinegar and enriched with creamy toasted cashews, this is a delicious accompaniment to the beef and tofu recipe above or even on it’s own with just some plain boiled rice.

ingredients:

1 small Chinese cabbage
a handful of raw cashews
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 red chilli finely chopped
2 1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 1/2 red peppers, cut into 5mm dice
1 1/2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil

method:

• cut the cabbage into thin strips, about 1cm wide, seperating the stems from the leaves.

• combine the salt, soy, sugar and vinegar. Set aside.

• heat a wok and when it’s very hot add the oil. When the oil starts to smoke add the chilli, cashews and ginger and stir fry for about 15 seconds.

• Add the peppers and stir fry for another 30 seconds

• Add the rice wine and the cabbage stems and stir fry for about a minute.

• Add the leaves and the soy sauce. Stir fry for another 15 seconds, remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.

Tags: cheap, Sichuanese, vegetables