What is Mugen Cabbage?
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to crave vegetables as much as sweets or snacks?
Check out the “Mugen” (meaning “Endless” or “Infinite” in Japanese) trend that’s all the rage in Japan right now. It’s not about a specific recipe but rather about vegetable dishes that are so addictive that you’ll want to eat them endlessly. The concept inspired lots of Japanese chefs and creators to come up with their own delicious spins.
Today, I’m excited to share my own take on this popular trend, starting with Mugen cabbage. My version steams the leaves until they’re nice and tender, then coats them in a tasty special sauce and finishes with a sprinkle of crispy furikake. The result? It’s a vegetable dish you won’t be able to stop eating!
Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Cabbage: I’ve used green cabbage in this recipe, but you can use other types too. Just remember that you might need to adjust the steaming time based on how thick your cabbage leaves are.
- Bacon: If you want the topping to be extra crispy, go for thinly sliced pork belly bacon with a good ratio of fat marbling. If you’re short on time, store-bought bacon bits work great as a substitute.
- Crispy Fried Onions: We’ll be using pre-made crispy onions from the salad topping section of your supermarket.
- Additional Furikake Components: This flavor-packed topping combines katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), crushed roasted almonds, and toasted sesame seeds.
- Sauce Ingredients: My irresistible sauce blends toasted sesame oil, chili oil, garlic paste, sea salt, chicken bouillon powder, oyster sauce, and freshly ground black pepper.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Mugen Cabbage at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
STEP
Prepare the Bacon (If Using Fresh)
Heat up a frying pan on medium-low and add a bit of oil. Place the bacon strips in the pan and cook until crispy on both sides, which should take about 8-10 minutes.
While you’re doing that, you can start working on the rest of the dish.
Cut the cabbage into large pieces and rinse them under cold water.
Then pick your preferred steaming method:
- Microwave Method: Put the cabbage in a microwave-safe bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave at 500W for 3 minutes.
- Steaming Method: Bring water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer. Place the cabbage in the steamer basket and steam with a lid for 3 minutes.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl.
For now, there’s no need to mix them because you’ll incorporate them when you coat the cabbage. Having them ready in one bowl makes the process go more smoothly.
STEP
Create the Furikake Topping
Then, put the steamed cabbage in the bowl with the sauce ingredients.
Use your hands to mix it all together, making sure the cabbage is evenly coated.
The hand-mixing is important!
This step is crucial because you can massage the coating into the cabbage and make sure every piece is seasoned properly. If the coating is uneven, some bites might be too salty, while others might be flavorless.
Arrange the seasoned cabbage on a plate or a bowl and generously sprinkle it with the prepared furikake topping.
Serve it right away while the cabbage is still warm and the toppings are crispy.
I hope you enjoy this Mugen Cabbage recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
Mugen Cabbage (Infinite Cabbage Salad with Crunchy Furikake)
My version of Mugen Cabbage is an addictive side dish made with tender leaves of cabbage coated in a spicy sesame sauce and crunchy homemade furikake. You won’t be able to stop eating it!
Ingredients
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Heat a frying pan on medium-low and add a small drizzle of cooking oil. Once hot, add 1 rasher bacon and fry until crispy and brittle. This should take about 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through.
While the bacon cooks, roughly cut ¼ green cabbage into large pieces and place them in a microwavable bowl with 1-2 tbsp water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes at 500W. (Alternatively, boil water and cook the cabbage leaves in a steaming basket for 3 minutes on high.)
To make the sauce, take a large mixing bowl and add 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp chili oil (rayu), ½ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, ½ tsp garlic paste, ½ tsp oyster sauce, ¼ tsp salt and 1 pinch ground black pepper. Set aside for later.
Once the bacon is cooked through, remove it from the pan and crumble it into a separate bowl.
Crush 6 roasted almonds into small pieces and place them in the bowl with the bacon. Then, add 3 tbsp crispy fried onion, 3 TBSP BONITO FLAKES (Katsuobushi) and ½ tbsp toasted white sesame seedsand mix well.
Place the cabbage into the mixing bowl with the sauce ingredients. Rest for a few minutes until cool enough to touch.
Use your hands to mix the cabbage leaves and sauce. It’s important to use your hands here to ensure the ingredients are well mixed and evenly coating all of the cabbage leaves.
Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle the furikake over the top right before serving. Enjoy!
