Sautéed cabbage

Name: Sautéed cabbage
Ingredients: a small cabbage; 3 tablespoons of oil; an onion; black peppercorns; mustard seeds; fresh dill; half a cup of water; a bay leaf; a small can of tomato paste; salt and pepper

Sezon - Sautéed cabbage by Sabina F. - Recipia

When you have a small cabbage on hand and want to quickly put something warm on the table, sautéed cabbage is one of the simplest solutions. It is prepared with onion, tomato paste, and a few spices, then left to simmer until the liquid reduces. There are not many steps and it does not require complicated ingredients. The important thing is to chop the cabbage as evenly as possible, so it cooks at the same time. Quick Info Total time: not specified; depends on the time needed for the cabbage to boil and the water to reduce Preparation time: about 5 minutes for sautéing the onion, plus the time for chopping the ingredients Cooking time: until the water reduces Servings: not specified in the original recipe Difficulty: easy Recipe type: quick lunch, cabbage dish Ingredients 1 small cabbage 3 tablespoons of oil 1 onion 1 small box of tomato paste 1 bay leaf A few black peppercorns A few mustard seeds Half a cup of water Fresh dill, for finishing Salt and pepper, to taste In the initial steps, 3-4 tablespoons of oil are mentioned. The ingredient list shows 3 tablespoons, so you can start with this amount and use the fourth only if necessary. Preparation method 1. Clean the cabbage of the outer leaves and chop it. It does not need to be cut very finely, but the more uniform the strips are in size, the more evenly they will cook. Clean the onion as well and chop it finely. 2. Put the oil in a small pot and heat it. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it softens. 3. Add the tomato paste over the onion and stir to distribute it in the oil. There is no need for a long step here; the paste combines with the onion before adding the cabbage. 4. Add the chopped cabbage to the pot. Put in the bay leaf, black peppercorns, and mustard seeds. 5. Pour in half a cup of water and stir. The water helps the cabbage start to boil, and as the dish cooks, the liquid will reduce. 6. Let the cabbage boil until the water evaporates and the dish is reduced. Stir occasionally, especially towards the end, so the cabbage does not stick and cooks evenly. 7. Turn off the heat. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with chopped fresh dill. Remove the bay leaf before serving, if desired. Why I make the recipe often It is a simple dish, suitable for a lunch where you do not want to spend much time preparing. The ingredients are few, and the cabbage cooks in a single pot. The tomato paste gives it color and flavor, while the bay leaf, pepper, and mustard seeds add aroma without needing many spices. The dill added at the end changes the taste of the dish and makes it fresher. Tips Chop the cabbage before you start sautéing the onion, so you have all the ingredients ready when you reach the next step. This way, the onion does not stay on the heat too long while you deal with the cabbage. Start with 3 tablespoons of oil. If the cabbage is larger than expected or you feel the mixture is too dry, you can go up to 4 tablespoons, as mentioned in the preparation method. Do not add more water than the half cup indicated. The dish should boil until the liquid reduces, not remain watery. If the water has evaporated and the cabbage is still not cooked, watch the dish closely and stir more often. The peppercorns and mustard seeds can be added directly to the pot. If you do not like to encounter them on your plate, you can gather them in a small spice bag, but the basic recipe adds them simply, along with the bay leaf. The dill is added after turning off the heat. This way, it retains its aroma better than if it is boiled from the beginning. Substitutions Oil is the fat used in the original recipe, and there is no need for another ingredient for sautéing the onion. The tomato paste should not be omitted if you want to keep the taste and color of the dish, as it is one of the main ingredients. Fresh dill can be omitted only if you do not have it on hand, but in the original version, it is sprinkled at the end. No other greenery is indicated in the basic recipe instead of dill. As for spices, the bay leaf, black pepper, and mustard seeds are part of the original combination. Their quantities are not exact, but described as 'a few seeds' or one leaf. Variations The basic recipe remains very simple and does not include other vegetables or ingredients. If you prepare it exactly as per the source, you will have sautéed cabbage with onion and tomato paste, flavored with bay leaves, pepper, mustard seeds, and dill. You can only adjust the amount of oil within the mentioned range of 3 to 4 tablespoons, depending on how the cabbage behaves in the pot. Also, salt and pepper can be adjusted to taste, without a fixed amount. Serving ideas Sautéed cabbage is served hot, immediately after it is ready and sprinkled with dill. It can be placed as is in a bowl or on a plate, in the desired portion. Since it is presented as a quick lunch, it is especially suitable when you want a simple dish without complicated preparation. Frequently asked questions How long should the cabbage boil? The recipe does not specify an exact number of minutes. The cabbage is left on the heat until the water reduces. The duration may vary depending on how finely the cabbage is cut and the amount used. Can I use more water? Half a cup of water is indicated. It is not recommended to add more from the beginning, as the dish must remain reduced. If necessary, it is wiser to watch the cabbage during boiling and stir regularly. When is the dill added? Dill is added at the end, after the heat has been turned off. It is sprinkled over the cooked cabbage. What do I do with the bay leaf? The bay leaf is added during boiling, along with the black pepper and mustard seeds. Before serving, it can be removed. How much oil is used? The ingredient list mentions 3 tablespoons, while the preparation method indicates 3-4 tablespoons. Start with 3 tablespoons and use up to 4 if necessary. Nutritional values The values are estimated and depend on the size of the cabbage, the exact amount of oil, and the size of the tomato paste box. For one serving, the calculation below assumes the dish is divided into 4 servings and that 3 tablespoons of oil are used. One serving may contain approximately 150-190 kcal, 20-25 g carbohydrates, 3-5 g protein, 9-12 g fat, and 4-6 g fiber. Most of the fat comes from the oil, while the cabbage contributes fiber and carbohydrates. The tomato paste adds a small amount of carbohydrates and contributes to the total energy value. For more accurate values, the weight of the cabbage, the exact amount of tomato paste, and the actual number of servings would be needed. Storage and reheating The original recipe does not specify the storage time or reheating method. If cooked cabbage remains, keep it in a closed container and only heat the amount you are going to serve. When reheating, stir gently so that the dish heats evenly and does not stick.

Sautéed cabbage

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