Sumptuous Flavours: Stewed Radish & Chinese Cabbage 萝卜斋

Stewed Radish & Chinese Cabbage 萝卜斋

I first tasted this vegetarian dish at a Buddhist religious gathering organised by a feng shui master cum temple caretaker. The radish and Chinese cabbage were stewed until tender. Both the radish and Chinese cabbage were infused with the aroma of spices from the star anise and cinnamon. We seldom eat at vegetarian restaurants and we found this dish of stewed radish and Chinese cabbage a very refreshing change from the more common deep-fried bean curd fare.

Ingredients

700g radish
650g Chinese cabbage
3 star anise
1 piece cinnamon bark ( 2cm x 3cm)
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn
1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cooking oil
1.5 litres water
1/4 MSG ( optional )

Instructions

1. Remove the skin of the radish and cut into thick slices
2. Wash Chinese cabbage and cut it length-wise into 4 quarters
3. In a large pot, bring 1.5 litres of water to the boil
4. Add in all the spices and boil until aromatic
5. Add the radish and Chinese cabbage and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
6. Add salt, sugar, MSG and cooking oil.
7. Stir well to mix.
8. Dish up and cut the Chinese cabbage into sections of about 4 cm.