Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 500 g baby bok choy, halved lengthwise, thoroughly washed
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 15 ml neutral cooking oil
Sauce
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 30 ml water
- 5 ml toasted sesame oil
- 2 g granulated sugar
- 1 g white pepper, ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 68 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 241 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 344 mg
- Calcium
- 106 mg
- Iron
- 1.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 4 mg
- Phosphorus
- 12 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 177 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 42 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 1 mcg
- Water
- 12 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Wash the baby bok choy thoroughly under cold water, gently pulling the leaves apart to ensure dirt is removed from the base of the stems. Pat completely dry with a clean kitchen towel to prevent dangerous oil splattering later.
In a small bowl, whisk together the light soy sauce, water, toasted sesame oil, granulated sugar, and white pepper until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Place a wok or large skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. Pour in the neutral cooking oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the minced garlic to the hot oil. Toss constantly for 10 to 15 seconds until deeply aromatic but not browned, ensuring it does not burn and turn bitter.
Immediately add the dried bok choy to the wok. Toss vigorously to coat the leaves in the garlic oil, frying for about 1 minute until the vibrant green leaves just begin to wilt.
Pour the prepared sauce mixture around the edges of the hot wok so it sizzles on contact. Immediately cover the wok with a lid and let the vegetables steam in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the lid and take the wok off the heat. Use tongs to transfer the bok choy to a serving dish, spooning any residual garlic sauce from the pan over the top. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Mise en place is critical for this recipe. High-heat stir-frying moves so rapidly that stopping to measure an ingredient mid-cook will result in burnt aromatics or overcooked vegetables.
- If your baby bok choy are larger than bite-sized, quarter them lengthwise rather than halving them. This ensures the thick bulb cooks at the same rate as the delicate leaves.
- Pouring the liquid sauce down the sides of the hot wok rather than directly into the center helps vaporize the liquid instantly, creating the essential steam needed to cook the dense stems without boiling them.
- For an extra layer of umami, you can replace half of the soy sauce with oyster sauce or vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The vegetables will lose their crispness over time.
Reheating: Microwave on high for 60 seconds or quickly toss in a hot skillet until just warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Bok choy is soggy and lacks crunch
Cause: The vegetables were either cooked for too long or not dried properly before hitting the hot pan, leading to boiling instead of stir-frying.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure wok is screaming hot, dry the greens thoroughly after washing, and strictly limit cooking time.
Garlic tastes bitter and has dark brown spots
Cause: The garlic burned in the high-heat oil before the bok choy was added.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Have the bok choy right next to the stove before adding the garlic, and drop the greens in after only 10 to 15 seconds of garlic frying.
Cultural Context
Stir-fried leafy greens are a quintessential component of Chinese family meals, typically served alongside a protein-heavy main dish and steamed rice to provide balance and freshness. The technique of quickly flashing vegetables in a roaring hot wok with oil and garlic before a brief steam preserves the vibrant color and nutritional integrity of the produce while imparting a smoky wok hei flavor.
