Seema Pankhania’s cabbage dumplings

Dumplings and cabbage rolls are a universal love language. Fillings wrapped in parcels can be found in cuisines all over the world – whether it’s sarmale from Romania, kåldolmar from Sweden, or fagottini di verza from Italy, they are hard to resist.

 

After eating numerous versions for my national dish series, here I’ve combined cabbage rolls with my love of dumplings. It’s a simple yet deeply satisfying meal, brimming with hearty vegetables.

 

Feel free to make this dish completely vegetarian by swapping the chicken mince for crumbled tofu or using your favourite minced protein. You can also toss in any finely minced veggies, such as spinach, carrots or celery. It’s the perfect way to clear out your fridge.

 

Ingredients

 

1 Chinese or Savoy cabbage or Napa cabbage or white cabbage

 

For the filling

200g mushrooms, finely chopped

4 spring onions, finely chopped

300g chicken mince (preferably thigh)

4 cloves of garlic, grated

3tbs soy sauce

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1tbs oyster sauce

1tbs Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, white wine or mirin

1tbs cornflour

Salt and pepper

 

For the dipping sauce

3 cloves of garlic, grated

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1tbs chilli powder

1tbs sesame seeds

100ml vegetable oil

2tbs soy sauce

1tbs black Chinese vinegar or balsamic vinegar

 

Method

 

Start by bringing a large pan of salted water to the boil. (This is the same pot you’ll use for your steamer.) Peel the larger leaves off the cabbage, but keep the middle core with the small leaves for later. Boil the cabbage leaves for 1 minute, then remove from the water and rinse with cold water. Keep the hot water in the pan for later.

 

Finely chop the core of the cabbage and combine with the rest of the filling ingredients. Heat a little oil in a small frying pan and cook one tablespoon of the filling. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

 

Lay the cabbage leaves out on a work surface. Place one tablespoon of the filling on a leaf and roll it up like a burrito, folding in the sides. Continue with the rest of the cabbage leaves.

 

Put the cabbage rolls into a bamboo steamer lined with baking paper and steam for about 15 minutes, or until the filling is fully cooked.

 

To make the sauce, put the garlic and spring onions into a bowl and add the chilli powder and sesame seeds. Heat the vegetable oil until it starts smoking. Add the garlic mixture and immediately turn off the heat. Stir well to ensure the garlic cooks evenly. Remove from the heat and add the soy sauce and vinegar.

 

Serve the cabbage rolls with the sauce poured over and enjoy with steamed short-grain rice.

 

Notes

• Don’t have a bamboo steamer? Put a small bowl upside down in a large pan. Add just enough water to cover the bowl and place a plate that fits inside the pot on top. Line the plate with baking paper, and use this set-up to steam your dumplings.
• If you’ve got any oranges or similar fruits, zest some into the dipping sauce for that delightful zing.

Taken from Craveable by Seema Pankhania (Penguin Michael Joseph, £22). Read the review here

 

Photography: Haarala Hamilton