Curried Pork and Cabbage with Rice

This one is a WEEKNIGHT WINNER and I will not hear otherwise. Curried pork mince and cabbage, ready in the time it takes your rice to cook, packed with flavour, incredibly filling, and made from ingredients that cost next to nothing. This is exactly the kind of cooking Savvy Suppers is all about, big flavour, tiny budget, zero stress. Let's cook!

Watch me make this on YouTube!

Why This Curried Pork and Cabbage Works

Curried pork and cabbage with rice is on the table in 25 minutes, ready by the time the rice is cooked. Pork and cabbage is one of those classic combinations that turns up across the world, from Korea to Germany to South-East Asia, because they simply work together. This particular version was introduced to me by a Kiwi woman via my boyfriend, and it has become one of our favourite budget weeknight dinners. The move that makes the whole dish is the cornflour slurry stirred in at the end. It transforms the cooking liquid into a light, glossy sauce that coats every grain of rice and every piece of pork, making each mouthful genuinely luscious in a way that surprises people every time.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Serves: 2 to 3 as a main with leftovers for lunch
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Large frying pan or wok

This is the kind of recipe that proves you don't need a long list of expensive ingredients to make something genuinely satisfying. Pork mince is one of the most affordable proteins going, and cabbage is cheap, filling, and absolutely delicious when cooked down with a good hit of curry powder. The cornflour slurry is the chef trick that pulls everything together into a light, glossy sauce that clings to every grain of rice.

Ingredients

For the pork and cabbage:

• 350 to 400g pork mince
• ¼ cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon flour or cornflour, mixed with a little cold water to make a slurry
• 200ml water or chicken stock
• Salt and pepper, to season
• A drizzle of oil for cooking

To serve:

• Steamed rice

How to Make Curried Pork and Cabbage

1. Cook your rice: Get your rice on first so it is ready by the time the pork is done. Follow the packet instructions or use your usual method.
2. Brown the pork mince: Add the pork mince to a hot pan and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it is golden and nicely browned all over. Do not rush this step. Good colour on the mince means good flavour in the finished dish.
3. Add the onion: Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
4. Add the curry powder: Sprinkle in the curry powder and stir well, cooking for about a minute so the spices toast and release all their flavour into the meat.
5. Add the cabbage: Toss in the sliced cabbage and stir everything together. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the cabbage starts to soften. You can add a touch of water here and put on a lid to help it cook and steam.
6. Add the liquid and slurry: Pour in the cornflour or flour slurry and stir through to coat everything, then add the water or chicken stock. Let it all cook down for 5 to 7 minutes until you have a light, glossy sauce coating everything beautifully. Add a touch more stock if there is not much liquid left.
7. Season and serve: Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Serve immediately over hot steamed rice.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• On the table in 25 minutes: Ready by the time your rice is cooked. This is the ideal weeknight dinner when time and energy are both low.
• Budget friendly: Pork mince and cabbage are two of the most affordable ingredients at the supermarket, and together they make something genuinely filling.
• Filling and nutritious: Protein, veg, and carbs all in one bowl. A proper complete dinner.
• Pantry staple spices: Just curry powder, salt, and pepper. Nothing fancy required.
• Great for lunch the next day: Make a big batch and thank yourself tomorrow.

Chef's Tips for Curried Pork and Cabbage

Get good colour on the mince: Let the pork sit in the hot pan without stirring for a minute or two before breaking it up. That golden, slightly caramelised colour is where all the flavour lives.

Cornflour gives a glossier sauce: If you have the choice, cornflour mixed with cold water gives a silkier, glossier sauce than plain flour. Both work though.

Season as you go: Taste before you serve and do not be shy with the salt and pepper. Curry powder needs a good pinch of salt to really sing.

Use stock if you have it: Water works perfectly fine, but a splash of chicken stock adds an extra layer of flavour for very little effort.

Bulk it out: Got leftover veg in the fridge? Frozen peas, sliced capsicum, or a handful of spinach all work brilliantly stirred through at the end.

Substitutions & Variations

• No pork mince? Chicken mince or beef mince both work well here.
• No fresh cabbage? A bag of coleslaw mix from the supermarket is a great shortcut.
• Different heat level? Use a mild, medium, or hot curry powder depending on who you are feeding.
• No stock? Water works perfectly fine. Swap for chicken or vegetable stock for extra flavour if you have it.
• Different base? Serve over noodles or with flatbreads instead of rice if you prefer.

Storage

Best eaten fresh: This is at its absolute best straight from the pan while the sauce is still glossy and everything is hot.

Fridge: Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan with a small splash of water to loosen the sauce. It makes a great cold lunch straight from the fridge too.

Freezer: Freeze the pork and cabbage mixture without the rice in portions for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat thoroughly before serving over freshly cooked rice.

Avoid: Do not skip the cornflour slurry step. Without it the dish will be loose and watery rather than luscious. It is a 30-second step that makes all the difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of pork? Pork mince is ideal here for speed and budget, but you could also use finely diced pork shoulder. Just cook it a little longer to make sure it is tender.

My sauce is too thin. What do I do? Add a little more cornflour slurry, cornflour mixed with cold water, a small amount at a time, stirring as you go until you reach your preferred consistency.

Can I make this without meat? Absolutely. Swap the pork mince for a can of chickpeas or lentils for a brilliant budget-friendly vegetarian version.

How much rice should I cook per person? As a rough guide, 70 to 80g of dried rice per person is plenty for a main meal.

Can I double this recipe? Yes, this scales up very easily. Use a larger pan and add an extra splash of stock to keep the sauce going. Cook in batches if your pan is not big enough to hold everything comfortably.

What other vegetables can I add? This is a really flexible recipe. Frozen peas stirred in at the end, sliced capsicum cooked with the onion, or a handful of baby spinach wilted through at the end all work beautifully without adding much cost.

You Might Also Like

Savvy Suppers - 3 Dinners for Under $50 in New Zealand - The full hub for this episode with the complete shopping list, all three recipes, and tips for savvy grocery shopping.

Creamy Pork Ragu Pasta - Recipe 2 from this same $50 shop, a cosy, warming pasta that tastes far more indulgent than it costs.

Veg Curry Nachos - Recipe 3 from this shop, a brilliant Friday night fakeaway loaded with veg and flavour.

3 Budget Dinners Under $50 NZD - Prawns, Dahl and Pizza - Another Savvy Suppers episode, three completely different dinners from one $50 shop.

This is one of those dinners that looks simple on paper and delivers something genuinely satisfying on the table. Pork mince and cabbage have been paired together across cultures for centuries because the combination just works, and this version, with its glossy curried sauce and a pile of steamed rice, makes it abundantly clear why. The cornflour slurry is the trick worth keeping in your back pocket, it takes any loose pan sauce and turns it into something that coats and clings and makes every mouthful feel complete. Make a big batch and you have lunch sorted for the next two days too.

Enjoy!

Del x

Curried pork mince and cabbage over steamed rice, on the table in 25 minutes from a handful of supermarket staples. A budget weeknight dinner that consistently surprises people with how good it is.