Bok Choy Stir-Fried in Thai Garlic Sauce

This bok choy recipe is terrific to serve as a side vegetable dish - or add tofu or your choice of chicken, pork, or seafood for a delicious mixed stir fry dish. With a rich garlic taste, the stir fry sauce is easy to make and goes well with other vegetables (if you don't have bok choy on hand), such as broccoli or Chinese vegetables such as baby bok choy, yu choy, gailan (Chinese broccoli), or any Chinese cabbage. Easy and quick to make, this bok choy recipe will fast become one of your vegetable favorites!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• SERVES 4 (as a Side Dish)
• 5-6 "heads" of bok choy or baby bok choy (OR substitute broccoli, or any Chinese-style vegetable)
• 1 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
• STIR-FRY SAUCE:
• 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (or vegetarian fish sauce - available at Vietnamese food stores)
• 2 Tbsp. sweet Thai chili sauce (available by the bottle at larger grocery stores OR Asian/Chinese foods stores)
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• squeeze of lime juice (about 2 tsp.)
• 1 Tbsp. pureed garlic, OR 7-8 cloves minced garlic

Preparation:

1. Rinse the bok choy and cut off the white stem section at the base of each head (if there is one). Separate the heads into individual leaves. If the white sections of these leaves are very wide or large, you can slice them in half lengthwise, or into thirds.

   If stir-frying larger Chinese cabbage than bok choy or baby bok choy: Slice off the green leaves. Add the thicker white sections to the wok first, then throw in the leaves at the end (these will cook very fast).

2. Mix all the stir-fry sauce ingredients together in a bowl or cup. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
3. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high to high heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add oil and swirl around.
4. Now add the bok choy plus 2-3 Tbsp. stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, or until pan/wok starts to become dry.
5. Now add another 2-3 Tbsp. sauce and continue stir-frying another 2-3 minutes, or until the bok choy is bright green and the white stems are softened but still crunchy.
6. Taste-test the bok choy with the sauce. Add more sugar if too sour for your taste, or more lime juice if too salty. Also, fresh minced chili or dried chili can be added if you prefer it spicier. If you prefer more sauce, add a little more, as desired.
7. To serve, lift out the bok choy and place on a serving platter or in a serving bowl, then pour the sauce (from the bottom of the wok or pan) over. Serve immediately with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice. ENJOY!

Tip: Keep extra stir-fry sauce (in a covered jar or container) in your refrigerator for up to 1 month. This sauce is excellent with many different kinds of stir-fried vegetables, as well as with chicken, tofu or wheat gluten, pork, and seafood. Enjoy!

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