Nakka Hakka Red Cabbage Stirfry

 

Nakka Hakka Red Cabbage Stirfry

I had been craving the flavours of a Hakka Chinese stir fry, so much so that I bought frozen potstickers from the grocery.  Wanting something similar to the momos we found in India, I hoped to get that delicious set of flavours quickly and easily. 

I made the vinegar and chilli sauce, and looked forward to the treasures, but alas they were ghastly.  I knew it was time to invent something that would satisfy.  Suddenly I remembered the door prize I won from the Al Madinah Ladies’ group, and raced down to my storeroom to see what treasures it might contain.

Yes, it contained what I needed to replicate those delicious flavours, and yet have a meal that was quick and tasty.  Luckily I had the vinegar already prepared because I’d made so much for my lame potstickers.  You want to make the vinegar up at least several hours early, just to take the sharp edge off. 

¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon slivered ginger
½ teaspoon dried chillies

1 cup cooked Chinese vermicelli (optional)

Sesame oil is gorgeous stuff, as are the seeds!

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon matchsticked ginger
½ purple onion, sliced thinly and quartered
1 Thai chilli, finely chopped
2 cups thinly sliced and chopped purple cabbage
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced and diced
1 teaspoon white sesame seed
1 teaspoon black sesame seed
½ cup fresh mung sprouts
1 teaspoon vinegar sauce
a handful of salted peanuts (optional)

At least several hours before, make up the vinegar in a little bowl and cover and set aside.

Slice the vegetables beforehand, and have the ingredients ready, because this meal cooks fast!

Heat the sesame oil in a large pan, and toss in the chilli, onion and ginger. 

Sauté for a few minutes, then toss in the cabbage and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often.  Add the soy sauce and stir again. 

Add the red pepper and sesame seeds, stirring for just another minute or two.  Add the mung sprouts and vinegar sauce and cook for another minute or so. 

Frantically hungry, I chopped these rather roughly!

You want the mung sprouts crunchy, but for the heat to kill any lingering germs so frequently associated with mung sprouts.  Toss with cooked noodles if you want the extra carbs, and consider adding peanuts for extra protein.

This is a ridiculously easy and delicious stir fry.  Hakka cuisine is commonly found in India, and truly I know nothing about it, I confess.  Nakka, in my simple mind, means ‘not’.  Nakka Hakka!  But very delicious!