Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce (Chinese mini leafy cabbage) and a peanut bite is a great side dish to any Asian meal or just by itself with some rice. It’s healthy, simple, and tasty!
This is such an easy side dish or appetizer to make, nothing more straightforward, and it’s simply a nice fresh bite into a bunch of vitamins. We all have those moments when we need to refill our energy levels with lovely crunchy veggies; this dish will do just that. Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce is a traditional Chinese/Cantonese side dish. Some blanch the bok choy and others… like me, steam them in the wok. Some places call the vegetable by its Cantonese name, bok choy (Baak Choi); others call them Pak Choi, Pak Choy or Buk Choi, which means “white vegetable.”
Preparation of Bok Choy
Before cooking, soak the tiny Chinese cabbages in water with a touch of vinegar for a few minutes to ensure they are clean. Another essential element of this dish is not to overcook the bok choy. They must still be crunchy and bright green; overcooking them would turn dark and saggy. This also prevents them from losing all their nutrients and vitamins.
Fun Facts about Bok Choy
- Ancient Veggie: Bok choy has been cultivated in China for over 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest known vegetables!
- Nutrient-Packed: It’s incredibly nutritious, packed with vitamins A, C, and K, and a great source of calcium and folate.
- Low in Calories: Despite being full of nutrients, bok choy is low in calories, making it a popular choice for weight-conscious diets.
- Can Be Eaten Raw or Cooked: Bok choy is versatile—you can toss it in salads raw, sauté it, or add it to soups and stir-fries.
- Edible from Top to Bottom: The white stems and green tops are edible and offer different textures!
Oyster Sauce
Oyster sauce is a rich, savoury condiment thickened with cornstarch, made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt, and water. Some versions also include soy sauce or other seasonings to enhance flavour. Its dark, thick appearance and lovely umami taste make it a popular ingredient in many Asian dishes. It’s also low in fat and contains minimal saturated fats.
Other Vegetarian Side Dishes
So let’s make this simple dish!
Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 Bok Choy
- 1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- salt and pepper
Toppings
- salted peanuts
Instructions
- Cut the end of the stems from the bok choy (just the lower half of the stem).
- Soak the Bok Choy for 5 minutes, and drain.
- Preheat the wok or large pan to medium-high heat, and add the oil.
- Add the minced garlic, the bok choy, salt, and pepper and cover.
- Let it steam for 2-3 minutes, and shake it occasionally.
- When done, turn off the fire, and add the oyster sauce.
- Top with crushed peanuts.
1 Comment
So simple and SO tasty! Had it as a side with a Chinese Eggplant and chicken mince dish – lovely! This is going to become a regular