In this article, I want to explain how to prepare the Chinese-style stuffed cabbage roll I made as a teenager. 

The flavor of these traditional cabbage rolls still lingers on in my memory after a lapse of so many years. (Imagine my son has already married!) I still vaguely remember the process and have tweaked it, including adding a thick sauce to glaze the cabbage rolls before serving. 

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How to prepare Chinese-style stuffed cabbage rolls

1. Prepare the cabbage

• Cut off the core of the cabbage with a paring knife or the tip of the chef’s knife.
• Bring a pot of water to boil and submerge the whole head of cabbage. Heat until the water comes to a boil again.
• Loosen the layer of the napa cabbage leaves with a pair of chopsticks or tongs. Remove the tender cabbage leaves and place them in a colander once they detach from the core.
• Continue removing the leaves, like peeling the onion. Be careful not to tear the leaves.
• Trim the thick vein of the outer leaves because these are large leaves that are less pliable when folding.

The difference between round cabbage and napa cabbage 

Both round cabbage and napa cabbage are suitable for this stuffed cabbage recipe. You must cut off the part near the stem for napa cabbage as it is pretty thick. Use only the leafy part to wrap the stuffing. Cut the harder part into small pieces and use them as part of the filling. 

If you use round cabbage, the entire piece of leaves can be used as the wrapper because it is thinner and softer than napa cabbage. In this case, I added some chopped onion to the stuffing to replace the cabbage dice to make the filling less compact. 

The cabbage leaves that are too small to use for the cabbage rolls can be kept for other recipes. For example, you can use them for cooking stir-fried cabbage with garlic and dried shrimp. You can get the recipe on this blog.

2. Prepare the stuffing for the Asian cabbage rolls

You only need to mix all the seasonings with the ground pork in a large bowl to form the stuffing. You can use pork with some fat, as lean ground pork is less juicy. If you prefer your cabbage rolls to have a spicy kick, add some red chili flakes.

a. What if I do not eat pork? 

You can use other ground meat, such as lean ground beef or ground turkey, to replace pork for cabbage rolls. Chicken meat is universal and is a good substitute for pork in most Chinese dishes.

Another great way to change the flavor is to use two portions of chicken breast meat and one portion of shrimp meat to replace the pork. You can find the recipe for the famous dim sum Shumai on this blog, in which the stuffing is a mixture of chicken and shrimp.

You can also use lamb if you like. Add one teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder if you use minced lamb in the recipe. Using lamb, cumin, and coriander will change the flavor entirely.

b. What other ingredients can I use for the stuffing? 

The choice of ingredients for the stuffed cabbage is endless. For example, the stuffing of the Japanese stuffed cabbage contains Panko (breadcrumb), similar to meatballs, and the Japanese hamburger is called Hambagu. 

If you like more vegetables, add carrots and celery to the stuffing. Adding bamboo shoots and cloud fungus (云耳) adds crunchiness to the stuffed cabbage rolls.

c. What about using other seasonings?

The seasonings I use in this easy recipe are only my preference, which is never intended to be a fixed formula. Instead, combine various Chinese seasonings with different proportions to create your favorite flavor. Here is the list of the traditional Chinese seasonings in case you are unfamiliar with them. They are light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, ground white pepper, black vinegar, and rice wine.

3. Wrap and steam the Chinese cabbage rolls

a. Steps to steam the cabbage rolls

• Divide the stuffing by the number of stuffed cabbage rolls you want to make.
• Place a portion of the meat mixture at the center of a piece of the cabbage leaf on a flat surface or a cutting board.
• Roll up the cabbage like making a Swiss roll, or enclose the filling entirely like closing an envelope.
• Arrange the cabbage rolls on a plate or a casserole dish, single layer, seam side down.
• Set up a steam station. You can use a wok or a large skillet with a lid.
• Steam the cabbage rolls over boiling water for fifteen minutes.

b. Can I change steaming to baking for this cabbage roll recipe? 

The traditional Chinese method is to steam the cabbage rolls. I think this is because the oven is not the standard kitchen appliance for the Chinese. However, you can bake the stuffed cabbage rolls in a baking dish.

I prefer to steam the cabbage rolls because cooking takes only fifteen minutes quicker than the oven.

c. Open-ended versus closed-ended cabbage rolls 

Some cabbage roll recipes suggest cutting the cabbage into a rectangle before using it to wrap the filling. Then, they roll up the cabbage, like Swiss rolls, and expose the filling at both ends. 

It is up to you to present the cabbage rolls that way or encase all the stuffing unexposed. I will expose both sides and reduce the size by half if I intend to serve it as a dim sum. Otherwise, I will wrap them like an envelope because it is easier and faster.

4. Prepare the gravy

a. Steps to prepare the gravy

• Pour the liquid from the stuffed cabbage rolls while steaming into a pan.
• Add the water to soak the mushrooms.
• Season the liquid with a tablespoon of soy sauce and a teaspoon of sesame oil.
• Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce the quantity to about half the original volume.
• Combine two teaspoons of cornflour and a tablespoon of water to form the cornstarch slurry. Add the slurry to thicken the gravy.
• Remove from heat and sprinkle a tablespoon of thinly sliced scallion (green onions/spring onions) into the gravy.

b. Is the gravy necessary for this stuffed cabbage roll recipe? 

The sauce is not necessary if you season the stuffed cabbage well. You may want to serve it without the sauce.

I make the sauce because throwing away the liquid released from the cabbage rolls during steaming is a waste. The liquid is so flavorful that it tastes like a concentrated stock. Therefore, I reduce it with the water for soaking the mushrooms (which have lots of flavors) and thicken it to become a gravy with cornstarch. Season the gravy with additional light soy sauce, sesame oil (and some vinegar if you like), and it is heavenly! It is so flavorful that there is no need to dip these cabbage rolls in any other dipping sauce.

5. More about cabbage rolls

a. The best way to serve the stuffed cabbage 

This cabbage roll recipe yields twelve large rolls, best served with white rice. However, you can reduce the stuffing of this cabbage roll recipe to make it smaller and steam it with the bamboo steamer if you intend to use it as part of the repertoire of the dim sum spread.

Other stuffed cabbage roll recipes are quite different from this Chinese cabbage roll recipe. For example, some versions of cabbage rolls may include brown sugar, tangy tomato sauce, sour cream, and Worcestershire sauce. Another great variation is to make cabbage roll soup. The preparation method is similar, except the cabbage rolls are cooked in a soup base instead of steaming. You can use a slow cooker to make the soup as it is much more convenient and saves time.

b. How long can I keep the cooked cabbage rolls in the refrigerator?

Cabbage rolls are best to eat while it is fresh. If you intend to store them in the refrigerator overnight or longer, place them in a shallow, airtight container or wrap them tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It can be kept for up to three days if correctly done.