Jamaican steamed cabbage

Jamaican steamed cabbage recipe – a simple yet tasty side dish consisting of slightly seasoned steamed cabbage, bell peppers and carrots

If you are looking for a side dish that’s simple yet relatively easy to make. Then this Jamaican steamed cabbage dish is definitely what you have been waiting for. This low carbohydrate and low in fat dish is suitable for most dietary requirements and a perfect rice alternative.

Growing up in a Caribbean household meant that at some point I would be acquainted with cabbage. In the Caribbean, like most vegetables, cabbage doubles up as breakfast, lunch or dinner. Therefore, if you loathed  Jamaican steamed cabbage it would quickly become a major issue.

I still to this day have a love/hate relationship with cabbage. Sometimes I cannot get enough of it and other times, I would rather not eat it.

For my cabbage lovers out there, you will love this appetiser, it’s like the Jamaican cousin to Haitian pikliz. The only difference is Jamaican cabbage is cooked while the Haitian variation is served in its raw form.

Health benefits of cabbage

The great thing about this dish is it’s health benefits. I love food that not only tastes good but nourishes the body too;

• Low in fat
• Low in carbohydrates
• Contain an abundance of vitamin c
• Lowers blood pressure
• Packed with vitamin K
• Helps to lower cholesterol levels
• Improves digestion

How to make make Jamaican steamed cabbage

The good news with this Caribbean cabbage recipe is that most of the ingredients are very easy to source.

The recipe for Jamaican steamed cabbage calls for…………

• Cabbage
• Carrot
• Bell peppers
• Dairy free butter
• Coconut oil
• Thyme
• All purpose seasoning
• Black pepper
• Scotch bonnet (optional)
• Onion
• Garlic
• Pink salt

Scotch bonnet isn’t a crucial ingredient so if you don’t want any heat then skip it or alternatively use chilli powder instead.

Sauteing – start by sauteing the garlic and onion until soft.

Adding the cabbage, carrots, scotch bonnet and bell peppers – I used half a head of cabbage, sliced which results in a generous amount. You will need a large skillet to accommodate the vegetables. At first when adding the cabbage to the pan it may seem overcrowded but as you fold it into the pan, the cabbage will wilt and reduce in volume.

Steaming the cabbage – I added a small amount of water to the pan to aid the steaming process. In terms of the total time for steaming, it depends on yourself and preferred texture. I like a very soft cabbage so steam the entire thing for 15 minutes. If you like a crunch then around the 10 minute mark should suffice.

Seasoning – once the cabbage and other vegetables have steamed then add  your all purpose seasoning, black pepper, pink salt to taste, butter and stir.

What to served Jamaican steamed cabbage with

Salfish  (paleo,keto, gluten free option)

Jamaican hot pepper shrimp (paleo,keto, gluten free option)

Boiled plantain with kale (Vegan option)

Tips and notes for making Jamaican steamed cabbage

• This recipe is suitable for home freezing
• Suitable for keto, gluten free, paleo and vegan lifestyle
• Use chilli if you cannot obtain any scotch bonnet

How to make steamed cabbage (step by step using pictures)

Add the coconut oil to the skillet then saute the onion, garlic and thyme until tender.

Then add the scotch bonnet, carrot, cabbage and bell peppers and fold into the pan

Add the water to the skillet, cover and steam for 15 minutes. Once steamed add the pink salt to taste

Finally stir in the all purpose seasoning, butter and black pepper.

 

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