Spicy Stir-Fried Cabbage

This quick vegetarian stir-fry gets plenty of flavor from garlic, ginger, chile and star anise, with a little carrot for color. It's ready in about 10 minutes, so have your rice or noodles going first.

Serves 4 · 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 star anise, broken in half
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
• 1 small cabbage (1 to 1½ pounds), quartered, cored and cut crosswise into ⅛-inch shreds
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons minced chives, Chinese chives or cilantro

Instructions

1. Combine the garlic, ginger, pepper flakes and star anise in a small bowl. In another small bowl, stir together the soy sauce and rice wine.
2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles away within a second or two.
3. Pour the oil in around the sides of the pan and tilt to coat. Add the garlic mixture and stir-fry for a few seconds, just until fragrant.
4. Add the cabbage and carrot and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cabbage starts to wilt.
5. Season with salt and pour in the soy sauce mixture. Cover and cook on high for 1 minute.
6. Uncover and stir-fry 30 seconds more, then stir in the chives or cilantro and take the pan off the heat. The cabbage should still have some crunch.

Tips

• Once the pan is hot, everything moves fast, so prep all your ingredients first. You can do that several hours ahead.

Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman, NYT Cooking.