This easy pan fried napa cabbage is cooked with sesame seeds and mild red chili flakes with cumin seeds, fennel seeds, onion, and garlic. Napa Cabbage with chili and sesame seeds is a delicate stir fry with tons of flavor.
The Difference Between Napa Cabbage and Regular Cabbage
Napa Cabbage is delicate and more leafy and cooks really fast compared to regular cabbages. Napa cabbage cooks in around 10 minutes.
Regular cabbage is much sturdier and needs more more time to cook to get soft. At least 20 minutes and up to 60 minutes for caramelization.
Regular cabbage can be used in this napa cabbage recipe but it will take longer to cook.
Ingredient Substitutions for Napa Cabbage with Sesame Seeds
This is an easy napa cabbage recipe that is stir fried with onions, garlic, chili flakes, cumin, fennel, and sesame seeds. The technique for pan frying napa cabbage remains the same but ingredients can be substituted. Try:
- leave out the cumin and fennel seeds if you don't have them or use ground cumin instead.
- Use black instead of white sesame seeds
- use garlic powder instead of chili powder
- take up that umami and add a splash of soy sauce
- Add some minced ginger at the same time as the garlic.
- Add a hint of vinegar or lemon or lime juice for extra tang
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Serving Suggestion
Serve this Pan Fried Napa Cabbage with Sesame Seeds and Chili Flakes with complementary dishes like these to round out your dinner:
Pan Fried Napa Cabbage with Sesame Seeds
This easy pan fried napa cabbage is cooked with sesame seeds and mild red chili flakes with cumin seeds, fennel seeds, onion, and garlic. Napa Cabbage with chili and sesame seeds is a delicate stir fry with tons of flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Asian
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Keto, Low Fat, Low-Carb, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 + tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- 1 medium head (~2 lb) napa cabbage, quartered, core taken out, sliced thin, rinsed
- 1 cup onion, sliced or diced
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon gochugaro flakes (sub red chili flakes or chili oil)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a 12" skillet to medium high heat and add oil.
- When warm add onions and a pinch of salt and cook 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
- Add garlic and more oil if necessary. Cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add red chili flakes, cumin, fennel seeds and more oil if needed, stir, and cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add napa cabbage, water, salt and pepper.
- Cook covered around 5 minutes. Remove cover and cook uncovered over medium high heat ~ 6 minutes or until water is completely dissolved. Adjust heat lower as water evaporates.
- Stir in sesame seeds and add salt and oil to taste. Happy eating! Beckie
Things In My Kitchen:
- pastry scraper - One of my favorite kitchen things for picking up food from the cutting board & transferring to bowls or pans.
- cutting board - 18 x 14 x .75 is my board. Sustainably harvested, easy on knives, got the juice grooves, and pretty.
- 12" nonstick skillet - 12" with a lid, oven safe to 400F, PFOA free. Perfect for seafood and delicate meats.
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