Crispy Cabbage Rolls

Every Filipino cook knows that there are plenty of things you can do with the handy repolyo, also known as cabbage. We often see it in stew recipes as they give an added layer of texture to various other components from fellow vegetables to meat. But the tasty cruciferous veggie can really shine once given…

Every Filipino cook knows that there are plenty of things you can do with the handy repolyo, also known as cabbage. We often see it in stew recipes as they give an added layer of texture to various other components from fellow vegetables to meat. But the tasty cruciferous veggie can really shine once given the chance. Just take a bite out of these Crispy Cabbage Rolls!

When I heard of this dish, it truly inspired me to get creative with my cabbage, and upgrade the recipe a bit. Just based on the name, you might be able to guess what it is we will be working with. But just to give you a clue, this is essentially a savory cabbage wrap made with a meaty, flavorful filling. And to give it an audible crisp, the cabbage is coated with crunchy panko breadcrumbs. Making it might sound more complex than a lettuce wrap, but it is not that tedious. In fact, you might enjoy the process.

Before we talk about recreating that dish, let me introduce you to some other recipes you can try should you end up with some extra repolyo.

We are now familiar with the many ways you could go about cooking your cabbage. Come, and learn how to make them the deliciously crispy way then!

How to Cook Crispy Cabbage Rolls

Our first step would be pouring 4 cups of water into a cooking pot. Apply some heat, and just let this boil. Then you must sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of salt. Place your12 Napa cabbage leaves inside, and then boil this for 1 minute. Afterwards, you need to put some cold water inside a large bowl. Transfer your cabbage from the pot, and submerge this in the cold water until it cools. Once it does, take it out of the bowl, and let it dry.

Put 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan, and heat this up. It is now time to add 5 cloves of garlic you’ve chopped, and sauté this. When it begins to brown, you can add 1 onion you’ve chopped. Continue cooking until the onion gets soft, and then you can integrate 1 lb. of ground pork. Keep stirring as you are cooking this until the pork becomes light brown. Then add 1 Knorr Pork Cube. We will cook the mixture for 2 minutes, and then sprinkle in as much salt and ground black pepper as we would prefer for the flavor of the dish. Then just transfer everything to a large bowl, and proceed to let it cool.

We now just need to integrate ½ cup of minced carrots, ½ cup of minced green onion, 1 egg, 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Mix these components thoroughly into our large bowl with the rest of the filling ingredients.

Your next step would be to scoop 3 tablespoons of your meat mixture. Then put this over a piece of Napa cabbage. Fold both sides of the cabbage inwards, and just roll this until the filling is covered entirely. And to make sure it does not fall out, we must insert a toothpick into the cabbage roll.

Go ahead, and heat up 1 cup of cooking oil in a pan. As we are waiting, we can just prepare our cabbage rolls by putting ½ cup of all-purpose flour, 2 beaten eggs, and 1 ½ cups of panko breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Dredge the cabbage roll in the all-purpose flour. Afterwards, dip this into your beaten egg, and then lastly, dredge it in panko breadcrumbs until it is coated completely. 

Then once the oil is hot, you can toss the cabbage roll into the pan, and fry one side until it turns golden brown in color. Then just flip it over, and repeat that step for the other side. 

Now that your cabbage rolls are cooked, you can transfer them to a plate lined with some paper towels. You could also use a wire rack to get rid of the excess oil. Just let everything cool.

Now you can slice up the cabbage rolls into bite-sized pieces, and serve them alongside any dipping sauce you would like!

What do you think of this recipe? Leave your feedback in the comments section below!