Also known as: the best thing you can do to cabbage besides kaposztas teszta or sauerkraut. :)
Seriously, when you are looking for a fun side to have alongside your grilled chicken or whatever, this is a great way to add veggies without it being a salad. Also, if you are trying to get your kids to be more friendly with veggies, this is a great option because who doesn’t like pancakes? Seriously, this cooking method mellows the normally strong cabbage flavor to bring it to friendly-to-all level.
You can serve this with Nuoc Cham (a Vietnamese-inspired sauce that we use all of the time, and I cannot believe I haven’t shared with you before), or you can make a mayo-sriracha combo. Or you can straight up Frank’s. I mean, you can do as you like, this is a super-flexible recipe.
Speaking of, don’t get wedded to the veggies listed here. It might be that you don’t have carrots, or you have extra green onions you’d like to use up. Or maybe you have a purple cabbage instead of the green. Just use what you have on hand. Have fun with this. Little hands are useful, too, for all of that grating so this can definitely be a family prep meal.
Cabbage Pancakes
Yield enough pancakes to serve 5-6 Ingredients
Pancakes
3 large eggs 1/2 cup water 2 T Soy sauce 1 T sesame oil 1 tsp salt 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 T ginger, shredded 3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour 5-6 cups green cabbage, shredded or sliced in thin slices 1 carrot, shredded 1/2 cup cilantro (stems and leaves), coarsely chopped Oil for frying Nuoc Cham
1 T brown sugar
4 T soy sauce
4 T fresh lime juice
3 T Fish sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 chili, thinly sliced (or use pickled jalapeños, or chili flakes or skip altogether)
dash salt
4-6 T water
Mayonnaise 1/4 cup + Sriracha 2 tbsp Directions
Remove any wilted leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Thinly slice or shred half of the cabbage, or until you have 5-6 cups shredded cabbage. Peel the carrot and shred it using a large-holed cheese grater, or chop into small strips.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, garlic and ginger until smooth. Begin whisking in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until it forms a thick, smooth batter (about 3/4 to1 cup total flour).
Add the cabbage, carrots, and cilantro to the batter and stir until the vegetables are mixed and everything is evenly coated in batter.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1/2 cup of the vegetable and batter mixture. Press it down into the hot skillet to form a circle, about 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Place a cover on the skillet to hold in the steam, which will help the cabbage soften as it cooks. Cook the pancake until golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes), then flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Pile the cooked pancakes on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm until ready to eat. Add more oil to the skillet as needed as you cook the pancakes.
To make the Nuac Cham, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Add water starting with 2 T until you reach the tangy/umami/salty flavor you like for the sauce.
Enjoy!