Stewed cabbage is an easy-to-prepare side dish with a pleasantly surprising taste.
However, some housewives manage to spoil even such a dish by violating the technology of its preparation.
It is worth considering the main nuances of stewing cabbage in order to get perfectly tasty and appetizing culinary masterpieces.
Helpful Tips for Stewing Cabbage
If we consider the theory, then absolutely any cabbage can be simmered over low heat. However, not all vegetables allow you to get an appetizing dish. In some situations, the side dish "spreads" across the plate.
To avoid this problem, follow these rules for choosing cabbage for stewing:
• its leaves should be white, since green cabbage leaves indicate an unripe vegetable;
• the cabbage stalk should not have any defects, its structure should be dense;
• the vegetable leaves should be tightly positioned in relation to each other;
• defects such as rotten areas and black spots are unacceptable on the surface of the cabbage.
You shouldn't stew Chinese or Savoy cabbage. These vegetables are soft, so prolonged exposure to high temperatures will make them slimy and unappetizing.
If you have already chosen the cabbage and are about to stew it, take into account a few simple and useful rules:
• when chopping vegetables, leave a little cabbage on the stalk, as there are too many harmful components in this place;
• only add dried slices of product to the frying pan, otherwise the oil will splash in all directions;
• simmer the cabbage in a minimum amount of liquid, add water if it has boiled away, since a burnt side dish will have an unpleasant taste;
• it is better to fry the vegetable in a mixture of vegetable and butter oils, because such a culinary masterpiece will pleasantly surprise you with its taste;
• if you are a fan of spicy dishes, then preheat the chili pepper or garlic cloves in oil, then remove the selected ingredient and add the cabbage to the container.
Thanks to these simple tips, you will be able to get a really tasty, aromatic and appetizing side dish. Your family members will definitely not refuse it, as it will win the hearts of true gourmets.
How to stew cabbage with various additives?
Of course, the classic recipe for stewed cabbage is considered the simplest. It is enough to simply fry the product in a frying pan with the addition of onions, cut into small cubes, and carrots, grated on a grater with small holes.
Ten minutes before it is ready, add sugar and salt to the container, as well as your favorite spices. But some housewives experiment with the recipe, adding other ingredients to it.
Stewed cabbage with meat
Meat products will make the side dish more filling, it will turn into a full-fledged dish. It is important to fry the meat beforehand until an appetizing golden crust forms. Then add the onion, cut into small cubes. After five minutes, you can add other vegetables. When frying the meat, do not add salt, as it will become quite tough.
Stewed cabbage with sausages
If you decide to combine stewed cabbage with sausages, then add the sausages at the end of preparing the side dish, when you salt it and add your favorite spices. Thanks to this, the product will not lose its appetizing appearance, will retain its elastic texture, and will not turn into a shapeless mush.
Stewed cabbage with minced meat
At the very beginning, you need to fry the carrots and onions in a frying pan. After a few minutes, you can add the minced meat to the container. When it turns grayish, the excess moisture evaporates, you can put the shredded cabbage in the frying pan.
Stewed cabbage with potatoes
You can make a really filling dish with potatoes. Add the chopped potatoes after the cabbage, carrots and onions have been fried.
Once the root vegetable is placed in the container, you need to cover the lid and simmer the dish until done.
Stewed cabbage with tomato paste
Tomatoes contain a lot of acid, which will slow down the process of cooking cabbage. That is why it is worth putting tomato paste in the frying pan when the vegetables are fried. You can dilute the ingredient with water, salt and sugar the liquid, add your favorite spices. You will get the most delicate spicy tomato sauce, which will radically transform the taste of the usual side dish for the better.
The side dish will become the highlight of any meal, as no one close to you will refuse it!
