Cap Cai
Sounds almost like an expletive, doesn’t it? ”Cap Cai this, you!!!!” … excuse the weird sense of humor….
I made this dish to go with my siopao buns which, unfortunately, didn’t look worthy enough to be photographed. I thought a light vegetable dish would be a nice pairing with the sweetish buns. It was perfect.
I first encountered Cap Cai in Jakarta, minus the noodles though. It was just everywhere and reminded me of the chop suey we know in Manila, but not quite. Now I learned it’s Hokien in origin. I also found a simpler version, with just a bit of noodles like bean threads or bihon. It’s vegetarian and really quite delicious in its simplicity. Call it Chop Suey in its simplest form…
Cap Cai
2 tbsps.?cooking oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 medium sized carrot, peeled and sliced digaonally
2 dried Chinese mushrooms, reconstituted and sliced
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and sliced .1-in. on the diagonal
1 large celery stalk, sliced on the diagonal
5 green onion leaves, cleaned and cut 1-in. on the diagonal
1 small head Chinese cabbage (Pechay Baguio) cut in 1.5-inch slices
1/2 c. softened bihon noodles
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
Heat the oil in a wok over medium hight heat. Add the garlic and stir fry for about a minute, add the mushrooms and stir fry a couple more minutes. Add carrots, stir fry another minute and add the rest of the ingredients, minus the water.
Stir fry a couple of minutes, then add the water. Cover and lower heat to simmer about 3 minutes or until your vegetables are cooked crisp-tender. Correct seasonings before serving. Always serve piping hot.
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Comments
hi mita! the veggie looks divine and i also wish u wud be able to share that siopao recipe next time 
naku iska..not fit for reproduction! my husband loved it because he’s biased…hehehe. i’m not giving up on that recipe yet, it will be posted here in the future.
That looks so fresh and healthy! I love greens cooked this way.
I second on the siopao. Please, please, please, let the recipe come out soon!
Mae, thanks, it was a nice dish….and so easy except for all the cutting.
oh gosh! I shouldn’t have mentioned that siopao..LOL! I’ll keep practising till i make it at least presentable and it will be out really soon…I hope.
Spouse endorses this, very tassty for an “all veggie” dish and substantial. I just wish the siopao buns had made the “editor’s cut” becuase they were great … perfectly cooked in a real bamboo steamer and full of very tender pork cooked “just so”. I think I liked them the best because there wasn’t any of that sweet bean paste handy to go into them. After years in Japan I eat the bean “stuff” when it’s placed in front of me but it holds no taste appeal to me at all. These buns could have been sold right out of the steamer on the sidewalk in Yokahama Chinatown, they were that good.