Make cabbage great again in January with this recipe for sautéed cabbage

It is January again and the dust is settling after the festive season with wallets feeling lighter as many brave for what will be a long month.

In this period, one vegetable quietly takes over Kenyan kitchens, gracing dining tables frequently as realities of household budgets sink home after a festive season: cabbage.

Remarkably affordable and readily available cabbage takes over when many other vegetables are scarce or expensive and at a time when the intricate balance of survival and savings is a lived reality.

As taste buds adjust from the delicacies that graced tables during the festive season, people across the country are reinventing how cabbage is prepared and served.

Simple recipes with the right combination of spices and oils are making cabbage great again in January, transforming cabbage from a basic filler into mouth-watering dishes.

Whether you want it crispy, saucy or fresh, cabbage was made for all seasons and shines when money is tight.

The classic stir-fried cabbage or sautéed recipe is a favourite for many with the vegetable simply seasoned with apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.

READ: 5 reasons why cabbage should be a compulsory part of your diet

It takes reasonably short time to prepare, and requires fewer ingredients but the results is a remarkable transformation of cabbage into a mouth-watering dish that can be served with ugali, rice, githeri among others.

• Half a cabbage

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Garlic powder

• 1 onion

• Cooking oil

• Soy sauce (optional).

Assemble the ingredients, slice the cabbage thinly and chop the onion.

Heat the oil in a sufuria, add the sliced onions and stir until the onions become soft.

Add the sliced cabbage, stirring occasionally before adding salt and pepper to taste.

Allow it to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until cabbage and onion are tender.

Cooking for the right time ensures that the vegetable is soft but not overcooked to a point where the great taste and visual appeal is lost.

Adding a pinch of garlic and a tablespoon of soy sauce completes the magic, transforming cabbage into a mouth-watering dish that can be served with ugali or rice.