Thai stir-fried cabbage with bacon (Pad Galem Plee)
Thai stir-fried cabbage is a simple recipe using only a few ingredients, yet the flavors are simply divine! This version has a little extra twist with added bacon and sauces to add extra layers of umami flavors that you will love. It can be put together in 20 minutes!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
- 1 lb sliced cabbage. (Find a small head of cabbage, cut in halves, then quarters and then cut it into 2-inch pieces.
- 6 oz bacon (half a package, usually). Slice the bacon into smaller pieces, about 1x1 inch. It’s easier to leave the bacon slices together and cut them in stacks rather than in individual pieces.
- 4-5 large garlic, chopped. Add more garlic if desired. If smaller pieces, add 6-8 garlic cloves). This dish is garlic heavy as eaten in Thailand. Adjust as needed for your taste bud.
- 1-5 Fresh Thai chilis. Adjust with some or non at all.
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce. A must for this recipe. It adds the rich, silky umami flavors for which the cabbage stir-fried is known.
- 1 tsp fish sauce. Just a touch is all you need. Add more at the end if you need a bit more.
- 1 tsp soy sauce. Use thin soy sauce or any soy sauce you have.
- 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or lime juice is ok as a substitute
- 1 tbsp sugar. Use white, brown, monk, coconut, or honey for sweetener.
- 1 tsp white pepper. Adjust as needed. It gets spicy fast, so use it carefully or deliberately as desired! (:
Instructions
- 1
Add Oyster, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper to a small bowl.
- 2
Add bacon to a large wok, big skillet, or a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Use a spatula to separate the pieces and let them cook to your crispness level. Soft or crispy bacon is perfectly delicious!
- 3
Add garlic and chilis and stir together. Cook for one minute until fragrant
- 4
Add the sliced cabbage and stir together. Turn the heat up to high and cook for 2-3 minutes until the cabbage wilt.
- 5
Add the soy sauce mixture, stir well and cook for 1 more minute. Give it a last stir before placing the cabbage into a serving dish. Season more with a splash of sugar, fish sauce, and a dash of ground white pepper, and serve with plain jasmine rice. That’s it! Enjoy.