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Garlic bok choy
Suànróng xiǎobáicài (蒜蓉小白菜): bok choy stir-fried hot and fast with plenty of garlic
Order a plate of greens in any home kitchen or small restaurant in Guangzhou or Shanghai and it will most likely be this: baby bok choy or xiao bai cai tossed in a smoking wok with a heap of chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and a splash of water, on the table in four minutes. The stems stay juicy and crisp, the leaves silky, and the garlic sweet. It goes with every meal. A portion is about 50 kcal. The most common mistake is a wet, crowded wok, which stews the greens to khaki; dry them well and cook in batches if your pan is small. Chef's tip: add half the garlic at the start and half at the end; you get both mellow, toasty garlic and a fresh punch.
- Total time
- 9 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb baby bok choyhalved or quartered lengthways, washed and dried well
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 6 garlic clovesfinely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pinch sugar
- 2 tbsp water
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat a wok over a high heat until it smokes. Add 1 tbsp sunflower oil and half the 3 garlic cloves and stir for 10 seconds, until fragrant but not brown.
Step 2: Add 1 ⅛ lb baby bok choy and toss for 1 minute, until the leaves start to wilt.
1 minStep 4: Add the rest of the 3 garlic cloves, toss for 10 seconds and serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 50 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does garlic bok choy take?
- About 9 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 4 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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