Home / All Recipes / Chinese / Braised Shiitake and Napa Cabbage

Braised Shiitake and Napa Cabbage

Name: Braised Shiitake and Napa Cabbage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 3 tablespoon oil; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 3 scallions, cut the white parts into 2-inch sections and cut the green parts into ribbons; 12 dried shiitakes (Note 1); 1/2 cup shiitake soaking liquid (Note 2); 2 tablespoon oyster sauce (Note 3); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 500 gram napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch squares; cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water)

Last updated: Feb 8, 2021 — Published: Mar 11, 2014 — By: Anita — 7 comments

Here is a great way to cook dried shiitake mushrooms. Both the mushrooms and napa cabbage soak up the umami-rich sauce, making every bite a delectable experience.

Shiitake mushroom has never been a cheap ingredient, and as such, a shiitake dish will always make an appearance in our dining table to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Once a year, the big family gathers around the dining table for a Chinese New Year dinner feast. It is an occasion to reunite with cousins, aunties, and uncles that we seldom meet during the year. And that warrants all the celebratory dishes, even pricier dishes such as this braised shiitake and napa cabbage.

Ingredients for braised shiitake and napa cabbage

This dish is easy to cook and needs only a minimum amount of ingredients.

1. Dried shiitake mushrooms

It is best to use dried shiitake mushrooms for this dish and not fresh shiitakes.

Dried shiitake mushrooms are meatier and more flavorful. The soaking liquid is full of umami and makes the sauce more delicious compared to chicken stock.

2. Napa cabbage

Napa cabbage becomes soft and tender after a short braising time. Although they are rather bland on their own, cooked napa cabbage can soak up all the flavorful sauce, making it a perfect counterpart to the much stronger flavored shiitakes.

3. Garlic and scallions

4. Seasonings: salt, sugar, pepper, soy sauce, and oyster sauce

Oyster sauce is the only ingredient in this recipe that is not vegetarian friendly. If you wish to make this a vegan or vegetarian-friendly dish, you can use mushroom sauce instead.

(1) Sauté garlic. (2) Sauté shiitake mushrooms and white part of scallions. (3) Add shiitake soaking liquid, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender.(4) Add napa cabbage and cook until translucent.

How to prepare dried shiitakes

Dried shiitakes take time to rehydrate. Start soaking them in cold water the night before you plan to cook this dish.

Rinse dried shiitakes with cold running water to clean and place them in a large mixing bowl. Top with two cups of cold water and set aside overnight until they become soft, spongy, and fluffy.

Strain to separate the soaking liquid from the shiitakes. You will get about a cup of soaking liquid to use as cooking stock.

Cut and discard the stems from each shiitake. If you want a prettier presentation, you can also make a small crisscross cut to each of the mushroom caps.

Using fresh shiitakes to substitute dried shiitakes

If you cannot buy dried shiitakes, you can substitute them with fresh shiitakes. You can use chicken stock to make up for the lack of soaking liquid if using dried shiitakes.

Thicken the sauce with cornstarch slurry and add more salt, sugar, or pepper as needed. Turn off the heat and serve the braised shiitake and napa cabbage.

How to cook braised shiitake and napa cabbage

Heat a wok over medium high heat until hot. Add oil and swirl to coat the wok, then add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.

Add white parts of scallions and shiitake mushrooms, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add shiitake soaking liquid, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and pepper. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the wok, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.

Add napa cabbage and mix well. Cover the wok again and cook for 10 minutes, or until the cabbage is soft and translucent. Add cornstarch slurry and stir for 2 minutes, or until the sauce is thick.

Turn off the heat, transfer the dish to a serving plate, and garnish with scallion ribbons. Serve it immediately with steamed white rice.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with scallion ribbons.

Other shiitake recipes to try

If you end up buying a bag of dried shiitakes and wonder what else to cook with them, you may want to try these recipes: