Stir fried Asian Greens is the ideal vegetable dish for a week night meal. They’re also one of my favourite dishes and I hate to share my portion with anyone else. I figure they’re so easy to prepare, there’s no excuse not to and anyone who wants them, should really cook it up for themselves! So there.
I remember when I was 16, I went out for lunch with a friend of mine from school and a boy who was interested in her. I ordered a plate of stir-fried Kangkong (Water Spinach) and the boy stole half the plate’s worth. I’ve hated him ever since. I would have disowned my friend, had she landed up dating him. Thankfully she knew what was good for her and the relationship never kicked off.
I’ve grown a lot more generous since and make this recipe often for Mangy. Although I must confess, he usually lands up with just the sauce and scraggly bits of vegetables.
Here’s my recipe:
You will need:
- 1 bunch – any sort of Asian greens, Chinese broccoli, Baby Buk Choy or Choy Sum are good options
- 2 cloves of garlic – grated
- 1 inch ginger – grated
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce or Vegetable Stir Fry Sauce (available in Asian Grocery stores)
- Fried onions – available in Asian Grocery stores
- White Pepper to taste
- Oil
Method:
Cut the bottom off the bunch of Buk Choy and separate the stems. If the Buk Choy is young, I simply slit the stem lengthwise so they cook quickly. Otherwise cut horizontally to separate leaves from stem and cut the stem lengthwise thinly. Wash thoroughly to remove dirt.
Heat oil, fry ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add oyster sauce, white pepper and just a touch of water to deglaze and thin sauce slightly. Stir well, taste and season with more pepper if required, remove from heat, set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, dunk the vegetables in for a minute and remove. If it’s not a young bunch, cook the stems first for a little longer, then cook the leaves for about 20 seconds. Remove from water and drain as much liquid as you can.
Heat the pan with the sauce again, bring to a bubble, put the vegetables back in, quickly stir and serve. Garnish with Fried onions.
Sharm's Kitchen 