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Braised Napa Cabbage with Fish Balls

A comforting home-style braise of sweet napa cabbage, fish balls, fresh tofu skin, and dried baby shrimp. The cabbage is slowly simmered until tender and flavorful, creating a light yet savory dish.

Jump to Recipe ↓Braised Napa Cabbage with Fish Balls

Dish type: Braised

Cuisine: Chinese

Estimated calories per recipe: 690

  • savory
  • umami
  • comfort_food
  • contains_shellfish
  • contains_fish
  • contains_soy

Translated from a real Chinese home-kitchen recipe — never AI-invented.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 large napa cabbage
  • Fish balls, to taste
  • 1 box fresh tofu skin
  • 1 small handful dried baby shrimp
  • Scallions, to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 3 g sugar
  • 2 g matsutake mushroom powder
  • 4 g white pepper
  • 5 g salt

Steps

  1. 1

    Cut the napa cabbage in half.

    Step 1
  2. 2

    Cut the thick cabbage stems into strips.

    Step 2
  3. 3

    Tear the cabbage leaves into large pieces. Wash both the stems and leaves, then set aside.

    Step 3
  4. 4

    Rinse the fish balls and set aside. I used a box of fresh tofu skin from a hot pot grocery store.

    Step 4
  5. 5

    Heat oil in a wok or pot, then add the chopped scallions and sliced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.

    Step 5
  6. 6

    Add the cabbage stems and stir-fry over high heat for about 5 minutes.

    Step 6
  7. 7

    Add 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 3 g sugar, 2 g matsutake mushroom powder, and 4 g white pepper. Stir evenly, then add 2 large bowls of hot water and bring to a boil over high heat.

    Step 7
  8. 8

    Add the cabbage leaves and braise over medium-low heat. Cabbage releases a lot of moisture as it cooks, so there is no need to add more water at this stage.

    Step 8
  9. 9

    After braising for about 20 minutes, add a small handful of dried baby shrimp.

    Step 9
  10. 10

    Continue braising for another 20 minutes, then add the fish balls. Add salt. If needed, add a little more hot water.

    Step 10
  11. 11

    Continue braising for 10 minutes, then add the fresh tofu skin.

    Step 11
  12. 12

    Continue braising for another 10 minutes, then serve. The whole process takes about 1 hour. Cabbage actually cooks quickly, but the longer it braises, the better it tastes, and cooking off more moisture makes it taste sweeter.

    Step 12

Tips

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