Steamed Napa Cabbage with Aromatic Wild Chives Dressing
A Delightful Steamed Napa Cabbage Dish with Fragrant Wild Chives Sauce
We’ve prepared a wonderfully steamed Napa cabbage dish that pairs beautifully with a fragrant wild chives dressing. The tender, steamed cabbage combined with the slightly pungent and aromatic sauce makes for a truly special meal. Enjoy this simple yet elegant recipe! For detailed cooking steps, you can also check out the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/FMDcJ6TNeYE
Main Ingredients
- 1 head of young Napa cabbage (cut into quarters from the base)
- 20g wild chives (cleaned and washed)
- 1/4 red bell pepper (seeds removed, finely chopped)
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper (seeds removed, finely chopped)
- 1/4 green bell pepper (seeds removed, finely chopped)
Wild Chives Dressing
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 5.5 Tbsp soy sauce (regular)
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 4 Tbsp plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 2 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 5 Tbsp vinegar
- 2 Tbsp chili oil
- 4 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (ground)
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 5.5 Tbsp soy sauce (regular)
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 4 Tbsp plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 2 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 5 Tbsp vinegar
- 2 Tbsp chili oil
- 4 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (ground)
- Pinch of black pepper
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Instead of wild chives, you can also use finely chopped scallions or the white parts of green onions. Wash the wild chives, bell peppers, and green peppers thoroughly under running water and pat them dry.
Step 2
Trim the base of the young Napa cabbage and cut it into quarters. Wash the cabbage thoroughly. To ensure it’s clean, you can soak it in water for a bit and then rinse it 3-4 times, paying attention to the leaves.
Step 3
Finely chop the cleaned wild chives into about 0.5cm pieces. Also, finely chop the seeded bell peppers. Chopping the vegetables finely helps them absorb the dressing better.
Step 4
Place the quartered cabbage into a steamer. Steam it over high heat until the stems are tender and slightly soft to the touch, typically 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the cabbage. Be careful not to overcook it, as it might become too mushy.
Step 5
In a bowl, combine the finely chopped wild chives, bell peppers, and green pepper. Add all the dressing ingredients: soy sauce, oyster sauce, plum extract, cooking wine, vinegar, chili oil, water, minced garlic, toasted sesame seeds, and black pepper. Mix everything well to create the delicious wild chives dressing. This dressing is also excellent as a fresh salad dressing!
Step 6
Once the cabbage is tender and perfectly steamed, turn off the heat. You can check for doneness by piercing the stems with a chopstick; it should go in easily.
Step 7
Carefully remove the steamed cabbage from the steamer. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and arrange them attractively on a serving plate.
Step 8
Finally, generously spoon the freshly made, aromatic, and flavorful wild chives dressing over the steamed Napa cabbage. The combination of the moist, tender cabbage and the tangy, savory dressing is truly exquisite. Enjoy your meal!
