Chinese Pickled Cabbage (Pào Cài 泡菜)
Crunchy, sweet-and-sour quick-pickled cabbage and carrot with garlic, chilies and Sichuan pepper – a classic side dish that's ready to eat in a day and at its best after three.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Pickling liquid
- 1½ cups rice vinegar 360 ml
- ½ cup water 120 ml
- ¾ cup sugar 150 g
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 red chilies optional
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns optional
Vegetables
- 450 g cabbage about 1 lb, roughly half a small head
- 1 large carrot peeled
- 2 tbsp salt for salting the vegetables
Instructions
- Combine the rice vinegar, water, sugar, salt and chilies in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Taste the liquid with a clean spoon – simmer a little longer if you'd like it stronger. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Cut out and discard the cabbage core and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Slice the carrot into half-moons about ½ cm (¼ inch) thick.
- Put the cabbage, carrot and 2 tablespoons salt in a large bowl and toss with your hands to coat. Cover and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour (no longer than an hour).
- Drain off the salty liquid the vegetables have released. Rinse the vegetables twice under cold running water, drain well and squeeze out the excess water. Transfer to a large container or jar.
- Add the crushed garlic and Sichuan peppercorns (if using).
- Pour in the cooled pickling liquid and press the vegetables down so they're submerged. It's fine if a few pieces stick out – the vegetables will shrink and sink over time. Seal the container and refrigerate for 3 days.
- The pickles taste good after 1 day, but the full tang develops by day 3. Always use clean chopsticks or utensils when serving. They keep for 2–3 weeks in the fridge.
Notes
Napa cabbage is a good choice for your first batch – it pickles faster and tastes milder than regular green cabbage.
White rice vinegar is traditional, but you can also use Chinese black vinegar or a mix of both.
A splash of brine from a previous batch speeds things up noticeably.