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If you’ve ever come home hungry to a fridge that only has stray vegetables and a door of condiments, you can relate to the emotional breakdown I had recently after a recent vacation. Jet-lagged and hungry, I nearly teared up when I opened the fridge. Inside, there was a lone cabbage, rolling around like a tumbleweed. Luckily, when making a satisfying plate of galam bplee pad nam bpla, that lonely cabbage is pretty much everything.
Galam bplee pad nam pbla (written in Thai as กะหล่ำปลีผัดนำ้ปลา) is a Thai dish that is essentially stir-fried cabbage with fish sauce and a heap of garlic. It’s extremely fast to cook and, honestly, as easy to make as it seems. No preparation is needed other than slicing up a few cabbage leaves and peeling the paper off of garlic cloves. Unlike many Thai dishes that can list upwards of 12 ingredients in one recipe, this one calls for just four (and one of them is cooking oil). You don’t need to be especially skilled at cooking, or even using a knife—everything is roughly cut or smashed. It’s also versatile. Make a bowl of it to eat alone on the porch for lunch, or as a side dish to impress your Thai father-in-law who’s coming to your multi-course Thanksgiving dinner.
Prep is quick and easy
To make this delicious garlicky dish, start by breaking down the cabbage leaves. For two servings, use about half a head of cabbage or about three cups of cut cabbage pieces. I do this by ripping off seven or eight of the leaves (don’t use the outermost or damaged leaves; those can be discarded), and trimming off about ½ an inch of the thick stem end. If the ribs of the cabbage are thin, then just cut widthwise into 2-inch pieces. If the rib is thick, split the leaves down the middle of the rib, then cut widthwise. Depending on the type of cabbage you’re using, you may not need to split the rib. Napa cabbage, or Chinese cabbage, has a tender rib, but the rotund green and white version can be tough.
Once the cabbage is cut, prepare your garlic by giving them a good smash with the side of a knife or the heel of your palm. This method serves double duty: the garlic paper will peel off easily and, since you won’t be slicing or mincing them in any way, they’re already smashed and ready for the pan. Prep, done.
From here on out, the cooking goes by in a flash. Set the heat to medium and add a tablespoon of canola oil (or any neutral flavored oil that has a high smoke point). Don’t bother waiting for the oil to get hot, just add the smashed garlic cloves and cook for a few minutes. When the garlic starts to take on color along the edges, add the cabbage and turn the heat up to high. Stir and toss the leaves and garlic, allowing everything to get evenly coated in oil as it sizzles and wilts. Once the cabbage is mostly softened but not completely floppy, add the fish sauce and continue tossing for another minute. Turn off the heat and serve.
The finished dish has a salty, umami punch from the fish sauce, followed quickly by a lasting, mellow garlic finish. The cabbage, hopefully, gets a little smokey char, or wok hei, and serves as more of a canvas to carry all of these flavors to your mouth with an added crunch. I’ve been known to eat this as-is, but my favorite way is next to a pile of steamed jasmine rice and soy sauce. Add a plate of steamed pork gyoza to the table and you might see cherubs, rainbows, and sparkles float by.
How to make Galam Bplee Pad Nam Pbla (Thai cabbage and fish sauce)
Ingredients:
- 1 head of garlic (cloves peeled and smashed)
- 1 tablespoon of canola oil (or other neutral cooking oil)
- 3-4 cups cabbage (sliced into 2-inch pieces)
- 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
Heat a wok over medium heat and add the oil and garlic. (If you don’t have a wok, use any large frying pan.)
Once the garlic begins to lightly brown on the edge, about 1-3 minutes, add the cabbage and turn the heat up to high. Toss and stir constantly. After a few minutes the cabbage will begin to wilt and char in places. Add the fish sauce and toss for another minute to evenly distribute the flavor.
Serve family-style or as a side dish for two to four people. This dish is best eaten the day it’s made, hot or at room temperature. Although you can keep leftovers stored in the fridge for a few days (re-fry in a pan for a few minutes to refresh it), it’ll be past its peak.
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