Stir Fry Chinese Broccoli – The Ins and Outs

Due to the different experimental efforts of Missus Fun lately in the Fun household, there is a distinct aroma once you stepped into our abode – and it certainly does not smell Chinese at all!

As an eccentric family, we are blessed with so many exposures to different ethnicities and trying all sorts of culturally diversified dishes.  Fun Junior female remarked today that our house smells like Indian and I am so proud of it and not a bit concerned.  The high populations of Indians in New Jersey will make reselling of our house, if circumstances call for it, piece of cake.

I am sure the aroma is a result of me using coconut oil as main cooking oil recently.  Thanks to one of my bestest friends, I think our household is getting healthier and healthier.  Some of you may be yelling out now – WHAT?  Well, since my blog is about cooking, and not a scientific journal, I will leave the research up to you.  I will go to sharing one of most essential and simplest recipes with you – sir fry Chinese broccoli.

The best place to buy Chinese broccoli (唐芥蘭) is in a Chinese grocery store.  This is quite a dumb and obvious statement.  Anyway, you will be surprised to find that it does not require too much cleaning as it will not trap dirt so easily like celery.  After cleaning, separate the stems and the leaves and cut stems into diagonal pieces.  The reason of separating the stems and leaves is that it takes longer to cook the stems.  If the leaves too big, break them into halves too.

The trick to make a very fragrant stir fry of Chinese broccoli is a lot of ginger and cooking wine.  Chopped the ginger finely or grate it, wait, how much?  I’d say as you see fit.  Add about a tablespoon of cooking oil, in this case of course I am using coconut oil as it will give the vegetable super shine and add to the aesthetic beauty of the dish, to the heated pan.  Stir fry the ginger to bring out the aroma, put in the stems first, stir fry for about 2 minutes or so, then add all the leaves.  You should keep on stir frying the veggies till they all become tender – I’d say about 5 minutes total, keeping the fire to medium or so.  Season it with salt, to taste, and a pinch of sugar.  In the last 30 seconds, pour in some cooking wine and finish stir frying.  The evaporating cooking wine will give such an irresistible aroma – as a child, whenever I smell that, I knew dinner is almost ready!

It is a good habit to eat broad leave deep green vegetables like Chinese broccoli at least two three times a week, they are full of nutrients with Vitamin C and other good stuff and you know what is the best part – it will aid your digestive system and you should have no need of artificial stuff like Metamucil and such.  Happy bowel movements mean happy moms!  Three cheers to moms all over the world who are caring not only what we put into our mouths, but what will come out some hours later below!