7 Recipes with Nutritious Chinese Cabbage Pak Choi

There are many different types of Chinese cabbage. One of them is pak choy or bok choy. It has dark green leaves shaped like a spoon and white stems gathered into a rosette like petiole celery. Cabbage has a pleasant taste, light and slightly sweet.

It is also known as Shanghai green cabbage. It contains many nutrients necessary for the human body.

This is a very versatile vegetable: it can be fried, including on the grill or grill, steamed, or stewed. It is used to make salads and soup. It goes well with many seasonings and, as a representative of East Asian cuisine, soy sauce.

What it is?

Pak choy or bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage. This species differs from others in that it does not have heads of cabbage. Smooth green leaves with thick and dense stems are formed around the central main bud. If you translate the name, it will sound like “white vegetable”, and it is especially popular in Southeast Asia, but pak choy is also actively grown and consumed in North America and Europe.

Fun fact: Pak choy is a close relative of Chinese cabbage, but the two varieties are very different.

Are there any harmful effects?

Not every vegetable has exceptional health benefits. This also applies to our new friend.

• The product is not recommended for people prone to allergies specifically to cabbage plants.
• This vegetable should not be consumed in excessive quantities by those who have poor blood clotting or who are taking medications that thin it, otherwise it can cause severe bleeding.
• Contraindications are increased acidity, gastrointestinal diseases in the acute stage, pancreatitis.
• An excessive fan of petiole cabbage can provoke hormonal imbalance due to insufficient production of thyroid hormones.
• Glucosinolates, contained in pak choi and useful in small doses, can be dangerous in large volumes: instead of preventing cell mutation, they, on the contrary, stimulate the growth of tumors, especially if some people have a predisposition to cancer.

Beneficial features:

• Normalization of peristalsis of the intestinal walls, relief from constipation.
• Removing waste and toxins, cleansing the body.
• Prevention of atherosclerosis: reducing the level of “bad” cholesterol, cleansing blood vessels and strengthening their walls.
• Improving the functioning of the immune system, strengthening the body's defenses and increasing its resistance to attacks by pathogenic microorganisms.
• Chinese cabbage can promote weight loss, as it is low in calories, satisfies hunger and gives a feeling of fullness, and also normalizes metabolic processes.
• Vitamin K normalizes blood clotting; if it is low, it stops bleeding.
• B vitamins take part in many reactions and metabolic processes occurring in the body and ensure the smooth functioning of the nervous system, improving mood and sleep.
• Vitamin A is good for the skin and helps maintain visual acuity.
• Pak choy is useful to use during pregnancy: this product ensures the proper formation of fetal organs.
• Chinese cabbage is good for the heart.
• Pak choy has an antioxidant effect: it neutralizes the activity of free radicals, stops oxidation and aging of tissues, and prevents cell malignancy.

Use in folk medicine

Even in ancient times, Eastern healers used bok choy juice to treat the wounds of warriors. They say that after this the wounds healed much faster. And some healers used a mixture of egg whites and fresh kale juice to heal wounds. This vegetable is also useful for healing burns. In oriental medicine, fresh bok choy leaves were used for such purposes, which were tightly wrapped around the burned areas.

Nowadays, information has also reached that Tibetan healers also used bok choy for treatment. In the herbal medicine cabinet of the monks, this culture played the role of an anti-inflammatory agent, as well as a natural medicine against cancer.

How to select and store Chinese cabbage?

When choosing pak choy, pay attention to the leaves: they should be medium in size (no more than 13-15 centimeters long) and have a rich green tint, as well as be smooth and fresh. Unpleasant odor is not allowed.

Chinese cabbage is stored in the refrigerator. You can also separate and wash the leaves and wrap them in a damp cloth.

Popular varieties

With the development of agricultural farming in Russia, it has become possible to purchase absolutely any type and variety of pak choi. There are three varieties of Chinese kale. They differ from each other in color, shape and size of leaves, as well as petioles. Types of vegetables are in turn divided into varieties. The State Register of Breeding Plants of Russia includes:

• “Alyonushka” is a plant with a semi-spreading rosette, dark oval leaves of green color and small size. The petiole of cabbage is fleshy. The variety is early ripening. It takes 30-35 days from the seedling stage to harvest. The weight of one cabbage reaches up to 1.2 kg, the yield is up to 10 kg/sq. m;
• "Vitavir" is a low-growing, early-ripening plant with a small rosette. The leaf is oval, short, wavy along the edge. The petiole is narrow, green. Weight within 0.8 kg, yield - up to 7 kg/sq. m;
• “Corolla” is a mid-season variety of cabbage, short in stature with a spreading rosette up to 40 cm. The cabbage leaves are small, round in shape, dark green in color. Narrow short petiole white. Weight does not exceed 1 kg, yield is about 6 kg/sq. m;
• “Lilac miracle” is a mid-season hybrid plant of small stature with a semi-spreading rosette. The oval leaves have a beautiful purple-green hue, with a slight waxy coating on the surface. The petiole is green, medium size. The mass of cabbage is no more than 0.7 kg, the yield is about 2.5 kg/sq. m;
• "Yuna" is a mid-season plant with a semi-spreading rosette with a diameter of 45-50 cm. Medium-sized oval leaves and narrow petioles are green. The weight of one cabbage is 0.8-1 kg, the yield is 5 kg/sq. m.

These are not all the varieties of pak choi that can be planted on your site. There are others that will take root well and produce a high yield of tasty and healthy vegetables.

Healthy light salad

Here's what you'll need:

• 300 g pak choi;
• two medium-sized carrots;
• onion (you can take purple or white);
• half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard;
• two tbsp. l. rice vinegar;
• a quarter or a third of a small spoon of salt;
• tsp honey.

Preparation:

1. First you need to wash the cabbage, divide it into leaves and cut them.
2. The carrots are washed, if necessary, cleared of any remaining soil and grated on a coarse grater or divided into thin strips using a special knife.
3. The onion needs to be cut into thin half rings.
4. Mix honey with Dijon mustard, salt and toffee vinegar. This is a kind of sauce.
5. Combine all ingredients, season them with sauce and mix the salad.

General benefits of bok choy for the body

There are many arguments in favor of Chinese kale, for example, scientists have proven that regular consumption of bok choy reduces the risk of developing breast , lung, and prostate cancer.

Brassinin (indole-3), a natural compound with antitumor, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties, prevents the growth of cancer cells. The substance activates enzymes that benefit the body:

• inhibit the division of cancer cells;
• neutralize toxins;
• normalize hormonal balance.

To prevent cancer, bok choy is consumed at least 3 times a week. Health benefit serving weight: 150 g

A serving of kale provides the body with antioxidant vitamins A, C, phytonutrients and phenolic acids, which have antioxidant properties:

• myricetin;
• ferulic acid;
• p-coumaric acid;
• caffeic acid.

The leaves and petioles of pak choi contain polyphenols, which relieve inflammation , as well as vitamins and minerals.

Diet dish – bok choy, salmon, ginger

A serving of kale contains the daily dose of beta-carotene and 50% vitamin A, so the product is recommended to be consumed to improve eye health :

• cataract prevention;
• eliminating dryness;
• improved vision.

During periods of acute respiratory diseases, bok choy dishes are especially useful. Vitamin C supports the functioning of the immune system. Women need Chinese cabbage for beautiful hair and youthful skin. The vitamins contained in the product promote the production of collagen .

Braised spicy pak choy

If you want to get an unusual and very spicy side dish, then you will need to prepare the following products:

• 700 g pak choi;
• three tbsp. l. olive oil;
• two cloves of garlic;
• 10-15 g fresh ginger root;
• five tbsp. l. natural classic soy sauce;
• ground pepper.

Process description:

1. Prepare Chinese cabbage: divide into leaves, wash thoroughly, dry, chop if necessary, but not very finely.
2. The ginger needs to be either finely chopped or grated. The garlic is peeled and chopped in any way.
3. Heat the oil thoroughly in a frying pan, add garlic and ginger and fry for literally a minute.
4. Then add pak choy. Fry all the products for about five minutes until barely noticeable golden brown, and then simmer under the lid for about five minutes.
5. Pour in soy sauce and add pepper, simmer the dish for about another minute. The pak choy leaves should darken and soften completely.

How to cook?

It’s simple, take a wok pan for cooking and fry the leaves with sauce using the stir-fry technique, that is, in hot oil with spices to taste, stirring constantly. The process will take no more than a few minutes, because the leaves are delicate - do not expose them to high temperatures.

Serve immediately while the vegetable is hot. It is recommended to add it to meat dishes. Cabbage has a specific, recognizable taste.

If you don't have a high-sided frying pan on hand, you can boil the cabbage, making sure that the vegetable is removed from the boiling water when the leaf petioles have softened. With this method of cooking, it is important to choose a tasty sauce and seasonings for the cabbage.

Pak choi and mushroom appetizer

To prepare a snack for every day or for a holiday table, you can also use unusual pak choi. Here's what's useful for this:

• 800 g pak choi;
• 400 g of mushrooms (it is best to use fresh champignons);
• three cloves of garlic;
• two tbsp. l. olive oil (ordinary sunflower oil will do);
• Art. l. sesame oil;
• two tbsp. l. sesame seeds;
• five tbsp. l. wine vinegar;
• ground pepper;
• salt.

Description of preparation:

1. Mushrooms should be thoroughly washed and cut into not very thin slices.
2. The garlic is peeled, crushed, for example, passed through a press.
3. Pak choy is divided into individual sheets, washed and dried, and then cut (small leaves can be left whole).
4. Fry the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan.
5. Heat the olive oil, place the mushrooms and garlic in a frying pan, fry for a couple of minutes.
6. Then add the Chinese cabbage and fry all the ingredients until fully cooked and golden brown.
7. Add salt, sesame seeds, wine vinegar, sesame oil and pepper, keep everything covered for a minute and turn off the heat.
8. When the appetizer has cooled down a little, you can serve it to the table.

If you come across unusual Chinese cabbage pak choi in the store, be sure to buy it and try to cook something interesting and appetizing.

General information about culture

There is still some debate about what type of cabbage pak choi is. It is given a separate position in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia.

In many countries, cabbage is called differently. In its homeland it is called an oily vegetable, because... Oil is made from its seeds. Other names for the crop are white vegetable, celery, petiole, horse ear.

In appearance, pak choy is similar to lettuce rather than cabbage. It does not produce a traditional head of cabbage, but instead forms a straight or spreading leaf rosette, the diameter of which varies between 30-50 cm. Unlike the Beijing variety, pak choy has denser, larger and fleshier leaves. Depending on the variety, the height of the plant can reach up to 50 cm.

Collard greens are low in calories and rich in fiber and plant fiber. Its leaves contain a large amount of vitamins valuable for the human body: A, B1, B2, PP and especially C, the amount of which in 100 g is equal to 80% of the daily value. The main feature of the Chinese vegetable is lysine, an extremely beneficial amino acid. The presence of iron, citric acid, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium in the Asian plant is also important.

What does pak choi look like?

The method of growing pak choy is somewhat different from growing traditional white cabbage. The Asian species is less demanding on soil quality. It can be planted in medium or poorly fertilized soil. Pak choy is an early ripening vegetable that will be completely ready for consumption within 25-40 days after sowing the seeds. This feature allows you to grow the crop twice a season in warm climates.