Picture this, a wok-master skillfully works his way around the wok, tossing the wok, engulfing it in the towering flames. One by one, ingredients are added quickly and as the smoke emerging from the flames coats the ingredients, a stir fry dish with an explosion of flavours is created. The secret to an amazing stir fry is simple- authentic, fresh ingredients without which it’s impossible to create a stir fry that matches culinary standards. One of the essential ingredients is a green leafy vegetable, called Bok Choy.
Historically speaking, the Chinese have been cultivating Bok Choy for almost 1500 years. It has been an integral part of their cuisine and eventually it spread across the world. The name Bok Choy simply means “White Vegetable” in Cantonese, signifying it’s white-green looks. Although it may look similar to a Leek, Bok Choy is actually a member of the cabbage family. Traditionally, Bok Choy is stir-fried and served as an essential accompaniment to the main course in numerous Asian cuisines, especially Chinese cuisine. It develops a unique bitter-smoky flavour when stir-fried, making it the perfect palette cleanser or a side dish. The vegetable has a lot of flavour which is why its used in stir-fry, soups, broths, roasted, fried and sometimes also eaten raw.
Along with being a favourite stir-fry dish, the crunchy and flavourful Bok Choy is also really good for your health. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and other compounds that make it a healthy addition to your diet. Research shows that cruciferous vegetables like Bok Choy aid in the prevention of Cancer. Compounds such as Vitaminc C, beta-carotene, folate, selenium are all said to possess cancer fighting properties. Regular consumption of Bok Choy has anti-inflammatory effects which reduces the risk of diabetes and chronic heart diseases. The vegetable has high amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium all of which play an important role in regulating blood pressure. Bok choy is a good source of Vitamin K and phosphorous which ensure optimal bone health. The high concentration of various vitamins and minerals makes Bok Choy really good for your eyesight and skin.
Overall speaking, Bok Choy is a healthy and a tasty alternative to our usual vegetable greens. If you are looking for a change but don’t want to compromise in taste, Bok Choy is the perfect accompaniment to your diet. Stir fry it, roast it or toss it in a soup and extract all the goodness, it’s time to act CHOY, with our Bok Choy!
Bring out your woks, battle with the flames and make this mouth-watering stir-fried garlic Bok Choy. Use only the best ingredients in your cooking, get safe-to-eat and pesticide free Bok Choy delivered at your doorstep, tap here for more!
You will need:
- Oil.
- Chopped garlic.
- Shallots.
- Bok Choy.
- Soy sauce.
- Red chilli flakes.
- Red chilli-garlic paste, 1 tbsp.
- Half tbsp sugar.
- Salt to taste.
Let’s Cook:
- Slit the Bok Choy from the middle into two halves and then into quarters. Wash the vegetables thoroughly in cold water.
- Heat a large wok or a pan over high heat. Once the pan has heated up, add 2-3 tbsp of oil and wait for the oil to smoke.
- Add chopped garlic, Bok Choy, shallots, Chilli-garlic paste and soy sauce an keep stirring, tossing everything together continuously for 1-2 minutes(on a high flame) or till the bok choy softens. Make sure the Bok Choy maintains its crunch to some extent.
- Turn down the heat, add the crushed red pepper and sugar. Give it a taste and add salt if required.
- Your wok-tossed Bok Choy is ready to eat! Have it as it is or as an accompaniment to a dish.