The Steaming Wok

vegetarian

Stir Fried Celtuce

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One of my favorite Chinese vegetables is celtuce, sometimes referred to as asparagus lettuce or Chinese lettuce.  Though it is not very common in the United States, it really should be.  It is packed with vitamins and niacin, has a mild nutty asparagus like flavor, and a wonderfully crunchy texture.  It is also remarkably versatile and can be used in all kinds of preparations.  The feathery leaves at the top can be used in salads, the stem can be grated for salad, stir fried, or even used in soups.  It is also super easy to prepare.  Though you won’t find it in a regular grocery store, most large Asian supermarkets like H-mart carry it when it is in season.  I especially like to stir fry it with garlic, ginger, and sichuan pepper corns.  This preparation only takes a few minutes and it is a perfect weeknight dinner when paired with a bowl of rice.  Who can resist fluffy white rice covered with jade batons of crunchy, garlicky goodness?

 

Stir Fried Celtuce 

Ingredients:

2 stalks of Chinese lettuce

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 inch piece of ginger, cut into small slivers

1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns

1 TB cooking oil

  1. Trim stalks of Chinese lettuce.  You need to trim the skin and fibers outer layer.  I like to use a vegetable peeler, though you can also use a paring knife.  Just make sure that you get all the woody layers off. Once you reach smooth green flesh, you know you have gone far enough.
  2. Cut Chinese lettuce into 1-2 inch pieces.  You want them small enough to easily be picked up by chop sticks.
  3. Heat some water until it boils and briefly parboil the Chinese lettuce.  This should only take a minute.  Remove the lettuce and refresh with cold water and drain.
  4. Heat the oil until it starts to shimmer and briefly fry the garlic and ginger and toast the peppercorns.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  You just want to heat the garlic enough to release it’s aroma.  Don’t let it brown.
  5. Toss in the lettuce and briefly stir fry for 1-2 minutes and serve.  It couldn’t be easier!

 

 

 

Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli (gai lan)

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Chinese broccoli or gai lan is one of my favorite vegetables. Not only is it super versatile and easy to cook, but it is also filled with folic acid, lots of vitamins and dietary fiber.  I often pair it with meat dishes or dishes that are a bit fatty since the slight bitterness helps cut the richness of other dishes. These also go really with steamed fish. When making them, make sure to make a heaping pile since they also reheat well.  The key is to cook them quickly over high heat and then remove them to keep them crunchy.  Also look for smaller stems on your gai lan.  If it is too woody,  you may want to trim the stems a bit so that they will cook faster.  I like to cut each stem at a bias, cutting bigger slivers from the stem and then larger pieces from the green leafy parts.  Also try to keep these two piles separate since the leaves take much less time to cook than the stems.

In China I would often seen Chinese broccoli doused in oyster sauce, but I think garlic and chilis are my favorite preparation. I will sometimes throw in some minced ginger or even a dash of soy, but I think this dish is best kept simple to allow for the sweetness of the greens to shine.  The red chilis also help offset the bitterness.

 

Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli (gai lan)

Ingredients:

1 lb Chinese broccoli

2 Tbsp neutral cooking oil like grape seed oil

3-4 cloves garlic, smashed

1-2 red chilis sliced (I like finger hot, sometimes I will substitute chili flakes)

salt or a drizzle of soy to taste

Recipe:

1.Wash and dry the Chinese broccoli.  Be careful as there will sometimes be sand.  Slice the stems at an angle into small bite size pieces.  Once you reach the leafy section of the stalk, cut bigger pieces as the leaves tend to cook much faster than the stems that can sometimes be a little woody.  I will often make two different piles so that I can allow the stems to cook a bit longer without the leafy sections getting overcooked.

2. Heat a wok or skillet that has a lid over high heat.  Drizzle your oil in to the pan.  The pan is hot enough when the oil starts to smoke a little.  Quickly throw in your smashed garlic cloves and saute for about 30 seconds until you start smelling them release their flavor.  Add your chili flakes or sliced fresh red chilis.

3. Quickly throw in your washed greens.  Don’t worry if there is some moisture on them, this will actually help them cook and steam a bit.  Keep tossing the wok or stirring the contents of your skillet to make sure that the garlic does not burn.

4. Cover the contents of the pan loosely to allow the steam to help cook the greens.  Once they are fork tender, but still a bit crunchy (3-5 minutes), remove the greens and season with salt or if you prefer, drizzle with some soy sauce.

 

Sri Lankan Green Jackfruit Curry

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Although jackfruit is not that common in North American groceries, it is definitely worth seeking out.  This fruit originally from Southern India is now grown widely throughout Southeast Asia and is the largest tree-borne fruit, reaching up to 80 lbs!   Don’t fear, however, you won’t have to tackle an 80 lb beast to make this delicious meat-less curry.  In fact, I would wager that you won’t even miss the meat since unripe jackfruit when cooked has the texture of meat.  Although durian has the reputation for being the king of fruits, I think ripe jackfruit could be a close contender.  The flesh when ripe turns a bright golden yellow and is intensely sweet, however, the smell always reminded me of rotting onions.   The unripe or green fruit itself is very mellow and will absorb the flavor of whatever it is cooked in.  In this recipe I chose to do a Sri Lankan style curry, but jackfruit works equally well with Malaysian curry powder or could be substituted in your favorite Thai curry.  Cans of unripe or green jackfruit are also easily found in Asian grocery stores.  Look for the jackfruit packed in brine.  I prefer Asia’s Best brand.

Sri Lankan Green Jackfruit Curry

Ingredients:

6 – 20 ounce cans of green jackfruit

2 onions, minced

4 red finger hot chilis, minced

10 cloves garlic, minced

4 inch knob of ginger, minced

2 sprigs of curry leaves

4 tsp chili powder

2 tsp turmeric powder

6 tsp curry powder

8 green cardamom pods

8 whole cloves

1 2 inch cinnamon stick

2 cans of coconut milk

salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large pan and fry the onions, chilis, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves until they start to soften and become fragrant.

2. Add all of your spices and fry with the onion mixture until the mixture becomes fragrant.

3. Add your drained jackfruit and coconut milk and simmer over low heat.  If you don’t have enough liquid to cover all of the jackfruit, add a little more coconut milk or water.  I think it tastes best if you allow it to simmer for a few hours over very low heat.  Be careful though not to let it burn. Another option is to pour it into your slow cooker at this point to continue cooking.