My gal and I are obsessed with “mala” which is the Chinese term for the combo of spicy and numbing qualities that you get from Sichuan peppercorns. If you are into fun food experiences, this is a must-try! As cabbage is practically free, with a few pantry items, you can make a cheap but satisfying and palate-pushing side dish.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 20 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings (side dish) |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 pod star anise
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons chile powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 pound green cabbage, cored, halved and sliced 1-inch thick
- 3 tablespoons chile crisp sauce, preferably Lao Gan Ma
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cilantro leaves and sliced green onions, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a large wok over high heat, add the peanut oil and preheat the wok. Meanwhile, combine the star anise, cumin seeds, chile powder, cayenne and Sichuan peppercorns in a spice grinder and pulverize. When the oil is just starting to smoke, add the spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and cook, tossing and stirring to coat, just until the cabbage is slightly pliable but still has some crunch, about 5 minutes. Finish with the chile crisp, soy sauce and black vinegar. Adjust for seasoning. Transfer to a platter and garnish as desired with the cilantro and green onions.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 97 |
| Total Fat | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 214 mg |
Reviews
Made this last night. I don’t know how this recipe has received so many 5 stars. I used 2 tsp of red pepper flakes instead of cayenne pepper as some reviewers pointed out and did not use the star anise since I didn’t have it. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. This recipe turned out WAY too hot. That’s saying a lot coming from a couple of Texans who love hot and spicy foods. Spices are meant to enhance food, not mask what you’re eating. Will be throwing this recipe in the trash.
Made this tonight and absolutely delicious!! I had to substitute black vinegar and chili crisp as unable to find those locally but turned out great. I made a NY strip and sliced thin and made an orange sauce to spoon on top of steak. The sweet with savory cabbage was perfect.
We’ve made this several times, very flavorful, and easy to make. Biggest challenge was finding all of the ingredients at our local international market. I’d caution on heating the oil too high, make it hot but not smoking, as my spices got gooey quickly when too hot. Also DONT inhale or get the smoke in your eyes, have the exhaust vent on high. First time I followed exactly as written, very good. Second time added jumbo prawns, and colored bell pepper slices. Also, I occasionally swap out the chili crisp, as it adds a ton of calories. There are many heat alternatives with healthier choices. Get creative, have fun.
The recipe has good flavor, but I feel the spice level in the recipe is a bit off. By that I mean too much chili powder, too much cayenne pepper and the 3 Tbsp’s of the chili sauce is wayyy too much.
In my opinion, dial the teaspoons back to one on all spices and then ONLY USE 1 TBSP of the Spicy Chili Crisp. This way there will be the correct amount of spice for the recipe and this will ne a great balance of flavor and spice. Cheers. I’ll dry my eyes now!!
In my opinion, dial the teaspoons back to one on all spices and then ONLY USE 1 TBSP of the Spicy Chili Crisp. This way there will be the correct amount of spice for the recipe and this will ne a great balance of flavor and spice. Cheers. I’ll dry my eyes now!!
P.S. When I’m saying dial back the spices, it’s only the chili powder, Cayenne pepper and the Spicy Chili crisp. The Star Anise, cumin and Sichuan pepper are fine at their ratios.
Cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables, so I was anxious to give this a try. I’d never heard of chili crisp and never used black vinegar or Sichuan peppercorns before (a little tongue numbing!). It was delicious! Spicy, tart and cabbage…what not to love?
Great side dish. I used 2 dried Chinese chiles instead of the cayenne (which a mistake, he used red pepper flakes). Make sure you use your exhaust fan! The chile crisp is fantastic.
Really respect Warren however this is only the second recipe that has been a total failure for me. Guy seemed to love it. I guess my palate must not be as evolved. Will still try Warrens offerings.
Too spicy! Omg this is so spicy we couldn’t even eat it!
So good! Not as spicy as you would think. The chili crisp made the recipe.
I ended up tenting the cabbage to soften. Maybe I just cut to thick.
Repeating recipe, so tasty.
Really liked. Justin has made me obsessed with the chile crisp sauce. I’ve added it to my Mapo Dofu recipe as well. I’ve now tried several other of Lao Gan Ma’s chile sauces. Love the black bean chile sauce too. As for our family’s personal preferences, I didn’t add the star anise but I did add grated garlic & ginger with the spices b4 the cabbage. I’ve made several times and plan to make many more.