Asian Sesame Seed Slaw

Coleslaw – or slaw, for short – is a fantastically versatile side dish. Composed primarily of finely sliced ribbons of red and/or white cabbage, slaw is able to adopt and absorb any flavours successfully, usually to delicious effect. For me, however, white cabbage slaw always has an “Asian” feel about it – my apologies for the generalisation. This Asian Sesame Seed Slaw, for instance, benefits greatly from the presence of just a little sesame oil, a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and a pinch of chilli flakes. Seasoned similarly, it makes the perfect accompaniment to almost any noodle dish, but also as a fresh dish alongside a curry.

Slaw is a staple of our weekly menu. Quick to make and devastatingly flavoursome, it makes a mouthwatering side dish and filling, frugal and nutritious lunch when stuffed inside a pita bread, or accompanied by a portion of rice. If you’ve seen my recipes for Spiced Red Cabbage Slaw or Winter Red Cabbage Slaw, you’ll know that it never gets boring either; change up those flavours… experiment to your heart’s content.

As with other coleslaws, the key to achieving success is to make sure everything is very fine and crunchy. Your cabbage should be fresh and, if possible, a mandolin should be used – but watch those fingers! Remember to season liberally; being heavy handed with flavour when it comes to recipes like this goes an awfully long way. Most of all? Tuck in and enjoy for lunch or dinner.

Want to know what to do with your slaw? Check out my recipe for Pork and Apple Burgers… 

Asian Sesame Seed Slaw

Serves 4-8

Ingredients:

• ½ a white cabbage, very finely sliced
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp salt

Method:

1. Mix together the cabbage, onion and carrots together in a large mixing/serving bowl.
2. Gently toast the sesame seeds until lightly browned – be careful not to leave them unwatched as they could become bitter.
3. Add the sesame seeds and other remaining ingredients to the vegetables and combine thoroughly. The slaw will last in the fridge for up to 3 days, if covered.

Cost: Like my other slaw recipes, this Asian Sesame Seed Slaw is incredibly inexpensive – it’s only a few vegetables after all! Indeed, you could easily prepare it for as little as 75p – it lasts for 2-3 days in the fridge too!