Yangbaechu Bokkeum (Stir Fried Cabbage) with Butter
A super simple stir-fried cabbage dish made savory with butter and tuna extract sauce, balanced with spicy Cheongyang chili pepper to cut through richness.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This side dish features cabbage cut into large chunks and quickly stir-fried over medium heat to preserve its crisp texture. Adding a small splash of water steams it through to the center, while tuna extract sauce and butter bring deep, rich flavor. Piquant Cheongyang chili peppers cut through the richness so you can enjoy every bite without feeling weighed down.
- Servings
- 1–2 servings
- Cook time
- 5 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Cabbage1/4 head (large)
- Salt1 pinch
- Ground black peppera little
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
- Olive oil3 tbsp
Seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)1 tbsp
- Butter1 tbsp
- Water3 tbsp
- This is for 1/4 of a large cabbage; if yours looks small, use 1/2.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
This is 1/4 of a large cabbage. If yours looks small, you can use 1/2.
Prepare one piece of butter and 2 Cheongyang chili peppers.
Chop the ingredients
Cut the cabbage into large square chunks.
Cabbage has a much better texture when stir-fried with the layers still sticking together rather than separated leaf by leaf, so there is no need to pull them apart.
Thinly slice the Cheongyang chili peppers diagonally.
Stir-fry the cabbage
Heat a pan, drizzle in about 3 tbsp of olive oil, and add the cabbage and Cheongyang chili peppers. (The original recipe adds the chilies at the end, but I added them together so the spicy kick infuses into the cabbage.)
Lightly season by adding about one pinch of salt and a little ground black pepper.
If you stir-fry over too low heat for too long, the cabbage becomes tough, so stir-fry over medium heat until the outside turns lightly golden.
Pour in 3 tbsp of water and stir-fry as if steaming so it softens all the way through to the inside.
Do not stir it too often; just toss or stir occasionally enough so it does not burn.
Season
For seasoning, add 1 tbsp of tuna extract sauce and 1 tbsp of brewed soy sauce.
Add one piece of butter as well, give it a quick stir-fry until melted, and you are done.
You can stir-fry it swiftly, taking less than 5 minutes to cook the cabbage.
Finish
Sung Si-kyung's cabbage stir-fry is complete.
The little bit of butter added at the end brings a rich aroma and luxurious flavor to the stir-fried cabbage.
The thin outer parts are tender while the connected core parts provide great texture.
The subtly spicy Cheongyang chili pepper keeps it from feeling greasy all the way until you finish the whole plate of cabbage.
Related post on the blog (Korean)blog.naver.com/ppunwife/223855629530
Ppunwife's tips
- Cabbage has a much better texture when stir-fried with the layers still sticking together rather than separated leaf by leaf, so there is no need to pull them apart.
- If you stir-fry over too low heat for too long, the cabbage becomes tough, so stir-fry over medium heat until the outside turns lightly golden.
- Do not stir it too often; just toss or stir occasionally enough so it does not burn.
FAQ
Should I pull the cabbage leaves apart one by one before stir-frying?
Cutting and stir-frying with the layers still attached helps preserve a delightfully crisp texture, so there is no need to separate them into individual leaves.
How should I adjust the heat when stir-frying cabbage?
Cooking over low heat for too long can make the cabbage tough, so it is best to stir-fry quickly over medium heat until the surface turns lightly golden.
Why do you add water while stir-frying?
Adding a small splash of water steams the cabbage with vapor, cooking it gently so it softens all the way through to the center.
