Chinese Cabbage rolls are traditionally made with meat, and it is named Fei Cui Bao Rou (翡翠包肉), which translates to “Jade wrapped meat.” For this recipe, instead of using meat as a filling, we used a fruit and vegetable combination, so it might be more appropriate to call it 翡翠包蔬菜 Fei Cui Bao Shu Cai. The sweetness from the apples combined with the zucchini and okra make a very succulent filling for the cabbage roll.
If you’re not too confident with making these rolls, another great way to serve the Chinese cabbage, especially if you want an easier salad is to slice them up into tiny strips and top off with a generous sprinkle of gomasio and strips of nori algae. A dash of sesame oil, plus soy sauce–and voila, you have easy salad ready in minutes.
Also called the napa cabbage in Asia, this vegetable originated from the Yangtze River in China, then spread to other regions such as Japan and Korea, used in various recipes such as soups, stir-fry, or making Kimchi. In the 16th century, it was introduced to world trade, bringing it to America and Europe. Now, this healthy variety of cabbage is enjoyed in different cuisines across the globe.
The Chinese cabbage has high levels of fiber that help with the digestive system and regulation of sugar. It also contains a high amount of folates, especially when eaten raw, which is great in keeping the blood cells and the bones healthy and support a healthy pregnancy. It also has significant amounts of Vitamin C, which helps the body fight against infectious diseases.
These little bites aren’t just healthy. They’re also beautiful to look at. With the stems and veins of the leaves looking like beautiful patterns, they do resemble lovely jade bags glistening in tamarind sauce. Check out the recipe below to learn how to make these delightful treats.
Chinese Cabbage fruit roll with fruit and seeds
The Chinese cabbage has high levels of fiber that help with the digestive system and regulation of sugar. It also contains a high amount of folates, especially when eaten raw, which is great in keeping the blood cells and the bones healthy and support a healthy pregnancy. It also has significant amounts of Vitamin C, which helps the body fight against infectious diseases.
Ingredients
- 6 Chinese cabbage leaves, lightly steamed
- 1 zucchini, cubed
- 4 Okra (ladies finger) chopped crosswise into thin slices
- 1 apple, cubed
- 1 palm shoot, roughly chopped into thin slices
- 1 tbsp roasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (more or less, according to taste)
- 1 tsp of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp roasted sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- Sauce
- 1/4 red pepper
- 1/4 block tofu
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)
Instructions
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the sesame oil, then the okra. Season with a bit of soy sauce (according to taste) and sauté for a few minutes before adding lemon juice.
Add the coriander powder, cubed apples, and cubed zucchini. Let the vegetables simmer until the juices dry out.
Mixed all the seeds and sprinkle a tablespoon over the veggies. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place a cutting board in front of you and one cabbage leaf neatly spread lengthwise on top of it, with the green part nearest to you and the white stem away from you.
The leaves have a broad and flat stem and a semicircle green top. Using a fork, poke the stem repeatedly. You can also use a tenderizer; it looks like a flat hammerhead with diamond-shaped spikes. A gentle tap using this on the white part of the stem of cabbage will make it easy to roll up.
Place a tablespoonful of the vegetable mix near the green edge of the leaf.
Fold the left and right edges of the leaf on top of the veggies before rolling the cabbage, making sure that the veggies are tightly tucked in.
Make sure the leaves are tightly rolled up until the end. You can use a toothpick to pierce into the stem to prevent the roll from unreeling.
Place each roll on a serving tray and garnish it with a sweet sauce of your choice. You can use one of the sauces from our recipes. Or you can slice the roll into half if you have too many mouths to feed 🙂
Sauce
Place all ingredients into a liquefier and blend until smooth. You can keep this sauce for a week in the refrigerator and use it for other salads and dishes.
Notes
For the sauce that I used in this recipe, I added a tablespoonful of strawberry jam to the vinegarette (1/2 cup Olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, and one teaspoon mustard paste). The jam gave the sauce a beautiful pink color. You can also use strips of carrot to keep the leaves together and prevent them from unreeling while adding a bit of color to the dish. it really is up to you.
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