Thai Cabbage

Name: Thai Cabbage
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 200 g green cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 10 clove garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife; 0.25 tsp ground white pepper (adds heat and floral notes); neutral cooking oil (vegetable or canola work well)

Crispy-Edged Thai Cabbage with Smashed Garlic

Ten cloves of garlic might sound like a lot, but they mellow into sweet, nutty perfection when smashed and fried until golden. The cabbage stays crisp-tender with just enough char on the edges, while fish sauce adds that essential funky-salty backbone that makes this simple dish completely addictive.

ThaiAsianSide DishQuick MealsStir Fry

Prep5 min

Cook5 min

Total10 min

Servings2

Difficultyeasy

Ingredients

200 ggreen cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tbspfish sauce
10 clovegarlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife
¼ tspground white pepper (adds heat and floral notes)(optional)
neutral cooking oil (vegetable or canola work well)

Instructions

Get your wok or large skillet hot over medium heat, then pour in enough oil to coat the bottom generously. The oil should shimmer but not smoke — you want steady heat for the garlic to cook evenly.
Drop in the smashed garlic right away and stir constantly. The cloves will sizzle and gradually turn golden brown around the edges — this takes about 2 minutes. Don't let them get dark brown or they'll turn bitter.
Toss in the cabbage pieces and immediately crank the heat to high. Stir everything quickly so the cabbage gets coated in the garlicky oil. You want the cabbage to start picking up some color and developing crispy edges.
Pour the fish sauce over the cabbage and sprinkle in the white pepper if using. Keep tossing for 1-2 minutes — the cabbage should be bright green, slightly charred in spots, but still have some crunch. Taste a piece to check the doneness.
⏱ 1 min 30 sec
Kill the heat and transfer everything to a serving plate. The residual heat will finish cooking the cabbage perfectly. A final sprinkle of white pepper on top adds a nice visual touch and extra bite.