While one may opt to cook a stir fried dish because of its ease, stir fried vegetables may appear simple, but can be difficult to perfect. There MUST be A or THE method, you say, or restaurants wouldn’t be able to serve Chinese vegetables the way they do – glossy, smokey with subtle yet powerful flavors. Yes, you’re right about that, and I’ll share with you how it’s done with one of my favorite green leafy veggies to stir fry: PEA SHOOTS!
Pea shoots are the leaves of the pea plant. They’re, by far, one of the best-tasting green leafy veggies, in my opinion, for they possess an indescribable sweetness, taste and crisp that not many veggies provide. I love ordering stir-fried pea shoots at restaurants because they make this simple dish so aromatic, flavorful and with the right doneness, but I’m often turned off by its price tag, so I’ve learned to make it at home on my own stovetop.
Stir-frying pea shoots literally takes a few minutes, but what’s time consuming is the preparation work that is necessary prior to cooking. The veggie often contains a fibrousy, tough stem that may be difficult to chew, so to ensure your family or guests aren’t gnawing on these tough cookies, you need to diligently snap them off one by one. Once these stems are removed, pea shoots are washed and drained for cooking, which is a breeze!
The dish is enhanced with wine, garlic and sesame oil and seasoned with just some salt. These handful of ingredients is really all it takes for this stir fried vegetable dish to be delicious, so that natural flavors are retained rather than overpowered by unnecessary condiments.
Try out my recipe and share your experience with me on social media by tagging me @rackoflam and #rackoflam !
Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Minced Garlic Recipe (蒜蓉炒豆苗)
Equipment
- 1 wok or large pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb pea shoots
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tbsp Shao Xing wine
- ½ tsp salt
- dash of sesame oil optional
Instructions
- Remove tough ends from the pea shoots, then wash and drain thoroughly and set aside.
- Heat neutral oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the minced garlic, then stir them around in the oil until you can smell their aroma.
- Add the pea shoots and stir fry until slightly wilted, then add the Shao Xing wine around the rim of your wok and continue to stir fry the pea shoots until wilted.
- Add salt and an optional dash of sesame oil, then mix until well incorporated.
- Immediately turn off fire, plate and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
PRODUCTS USED:
- Nonstick Wok – https://amzn.to/3d6LWUK
- Garlic Press – https://amzn.to/3TtMkNT
- Bowls – https://amzn.to/3KCIHRr
- Cutting Boards – https://amzn.to/2KSyG8p
- Squeeze Bottles – https://amzn.to/3tBBN7V
- Measuring Spoons – https://amzn.to/3bb5YKK
- Chopsticks – https://amzn.to/3u8i5iD
- Tongs – https://amzn.to/3occmVy
- Sesame Oil – https://amzn.to/3pWPFFA
- Shaoxing Wine – https://amzn.to/2KZOqXp
