Miracle Cabbage Stir-Fry

Chinese home cooking is full of vegetarian fare that requires a quick toss in a hot wok, just like this sweet, savory, and slightly tart cabbage stir-fry. Green cabbage retains its crunch, while earthy black vinegar—a must-get for this recipe and a pantry all-star for those who love Chinese cooking—does the heavy lifting for flavor.

Chinese cabbage stir-fry is best-known in the US as a Sichuanese dish, packed with heat and tingle. But this is a simpler, more pared down version that my mother cooked for me shortly after I gave birth to my daughter, when I desperately needed fiber to deal with postpartum constipation. Though my pregnancy acid reflux had tamed, I needed a dish I could eat over and over again without overwhelming my digestive system.

If you’re not nursing a tender tummy, feel free to increase the number of chiles, and/or add crushed garlic along with it. The high-heat technique means it cooks in less than 10 minutes, so even if you’re not in need of more fiber, this cabbage is ready to be a weeknight staple. Eat it with white rice.

Stir-fries depend on a wide cooking surface and constant high heat to guarantee charred edges and a crunchy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside texture. If you find that your cabbage is turning brown too quickly, lower the heat accordingly.