Grilled red curry cabbage skewers with nam jim dressing

Serves: 6

If they like it, it serves 6 otherwise

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Totaltime: 35 minutes

Boiled, marinated in Thai curry paste and threaded onto skewers, cabbage becomes a revelatory side dish off the grill. It’s finished with nam jim, the sweet, sour, salty and spicy Thai sauce/dip that’s delicious on just about everything. ** A "red finger chili pepper" is a common name for the Jwala pepper (also called Finger Hot Pepper or Finger Hot Indian Pepper), a thin, long, and very spicy chili pepper that is slender, elongated like a finger, and turns bright red when ripe. Popular in India, it's used to add intense heat and flavor to dishes such as salsas, sauces, and curries, though a small amount is sufficient due to its strong taste and high Scoville heat rating. Appearance: These peppers are thin, slender pods with a tapered end, resembling a human finger. They are green when unripe and mature into a vibrant red color. Heat Level: Red finger hot chili peppers are very hot, with heat levels typically ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 Scoville heat units, making them significantly hotter than a jalapeño.

Ingredients

NAM JIM SAUCE
3 tbsp (45 mL) coconut sugar or light brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lime juice
3 tbsp (45 mL) Asian fish sauce
1 large clove garlic, minced, about 2 tsp (10 mL)
1 fresh red finger chili **, stemmed, finely chopped with seeds
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely sliced cilantro stems

CABBAGE SKEWERS
6 8-inch (20-cm) wooden skewers
1 medium-size green cabbage, about 3 lbs (1.36 kg)
3 tbsp (45 mL) Thai red curry paste, preferably Thai Kitchen
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice

Preparation

1. For the nam jim, whisk sugar, lime juice and fish sauce in a small mixing bowl until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in garlic, chili and cilantro stems. Transfer to a large ramekin or small bowl. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day, though it’s best used within 2 hours.

2. For the skewers, soak skewers in boiling water to cover for 1 hour. Drain and pat dry.

3. Carefully halve cabbage through core. Working one half at a time, slice cabbage crosswise about 1 1/4 inch (3 cm) thick then cut slices into rough 1 1/4-inch (3-cm) squares until you have about 14 cups (3.5 L). Save rest of cabbage for another use.

4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Line two baking sheets with paper towel. Working in two batches, boil cabbage until crisp-tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per batch from the moment it hits the water. Transfer with a spider to prepared sheets to drain.

5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk curry paste, oil and lime juice. When cabbage is cool enough to handle, transfer to bowl and mix thoroughly to coat evenly. Thread cabbage onto skewers, dividing evenly. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

6. Preheat grill to medium. Clean and oil grate.

7. Lay a strip of foil on bottom of grill. Place skewers on grill with exposed sections of skewers protected by foil. Grill, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and hot, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately with nam jim on side or spooned generously overtop.