Stir-Fried Spiced Cabbage (La-Pai-Ts’ai)

Stir-Fried Spiced Cabbage (La-Pai-Ts'ai) combines cabbage with sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper. The cabbage is stir-fried before the seasoning mixture is stirred in off the heat.

Choose Chinese cabbage, bok choy, or green cabbage. Serve the finished dish lukewarm, or chilled if you prefer.

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Before you start

Have a sharp knife, a small bowl, a wok or large frying pan, and a serving platter ready.

Mix the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper before heating the pan.

Ingredient notes

• Cabbage: Trim the top leaves and wash them, then cut the cabbage into 1 by 2 inch pieces.
• Sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper: Combine in a small bowl and mix thoroughly before heating the pan.

Stir-Fried Spiced Cabbage (La-Pai-Ts'ai) recipe

Stir-Fried Spiced Cabbage (La-Pai-Ts'ai)

Cabbage stir-fried in oil, then mixed off the heat with sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper. Serve lukewarm or chilled.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 23 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb Chinese cabbage or 1 lb bok choy or 1 lb green cabbage
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon flavorless vegetable oil or 1 tablespoon peanut oil

Method

 

1. With a sharp knife, trim the top leaves of the cabbage and wash them.
2. Cut the cabbage into 1 by 2 inch pieces.
3. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper and mix thoroughly.
4. Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat for about 30 seconds.
5. Pour in the oil, swirl it in the pan, and heat for about another 30 seconds.
6. Turn the heat down to moderate, add the cabbage, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
7. Make sure all the cabbage is coated with the oil.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the soy-vinegar mixture.
9. Transfer the cabbage to a serving platter and let cool to lukewarm before serving.
10. You may serve the cabbage chilled, if you prefer.

Notes

Servings: 4-6

Tips for success

Reduce the heat to moderate before adding the cabbage.

Make sure all the cabbage is coated with oil during stir-frying.

Remove the pan from the heat before stirring in the soy-vinegar mixture.

What to serve with it

Transfer the cabbage to a serving platter and let it cool to lukewarm before serving. You may also serve it chilled.

Servings: 4-6.

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