This simple Bok Choy stir-fry (炒奶油白菜, Chǎo nǎi yóu bái cài) is quick, allium-free, and only takes 20 minutes. If you are looking for a warm vegetable dish, then add this to your lunch or dinner meal.
Bok Choy has many varieties, and this one has a white stem and a curly dark green top. It’s known as 奶油白菜 Nǎi yóu bái cài or short as 奶油白 as my mom likes to refer them to.
It’s also pronounced as Nai Yau Bak Choi in Cantonese and the Chinese word translates to ‘milk oil white veggie’ or ‘cream white veggie’ and my guess is probably due to the ‘creamy’ texture once it’s cooked.
Most stores here call Baby Bok Choy Miu and Miu means ‘tender or young’ in Cantonese. So, look for these words when you want to get them at the store. Bok Choy has a very mild taste, especially these, which makes them perfect in stir-fries or soups.
Often times, when the weather gets cooler, I add a lot more veggie stir-fries to my meal. Now, let’s see how to make this easy dish today!
How to Stir Fry Bok Choy
Bok Choy comes in a variety of sizes and most baby ones are between 4″ to 6″ tall (from stem to leaf) with a diameter around 2″ to 3″.
To prepare them, you can quarter or halve the plant. I cut each from the stem (white part) and then use my fingers to tear the leaf apart. Clean the inside thoroughly as some dirt may be trapped inside the gap of the stems.
I like to quickly blanch the veggie to give them the first cook so I don’t have to stir-fry them for too long while maintaining the crunch.
As usual, I love to add a little oil and season the water with salt. When you scoop up the veggies, be sure to drain out excess water.
To stir-fry it, heat a large non-stick pan or wok and add in a good amount of oil (about 1 tablespoon). Sauté ginger until aromatic, then continue to cook mushrooms until they turn slightly golden or releases its aroma.
Add in the blanched Bok Choy and season with store-bought or homemade vegan ‘oyster’ sauce. Toss everything together quickly and stir in the cornstarch slurry in the last step. Cornstarch slurry is optional. Then, serve warm with a bowl of rice.
Cornstarch Slurry
What are other variations of Veggie Stir-Fry
There are a lot of vegetables or sprouts that can use this method of cooking and here some of my shortlisted ones:
- Mung bean sprouts
- Snow peas or Sugar snap peas – Add some carrots for color
- Napa Cabbage or Cabbage
- Pea sprouts
This Bok Choy Stir Fry is
- Allium-Free
- Gluten-Free
- Easy and simple
- Delicious
- The perfect way to cook your vegetables especially if you need some warmth for cooler weather
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!
Easiest Bok Choy Stir-Fry – 炒奶油白菜
Ingredients
- 1 lb Bok Choy or Baby Bok Choy
- 8 oz King Oyster Mushrooms sliced
- 4 slices of ginger
- water for blanching
- oil for cooking
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan ‘oyster’ sauce
- ½ cup water with 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Prepare the bok choy: Quartered or Halved the bok choy. Clean Bok Choy to remove dirt.
- To blanch the bok choy, fill a tall pot or wok with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Then, add a drizzle of oil and season with some salt.
- Blanch bok choy for about a minute. Remove bok choy and shake off excess water, then transfer them to a cleaned plate.
- Heat up a large wok and add about 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Sauté ginger until fragrant and add in the mushrooms. Continue to stir-fry until mushrooms release their aroma or turn slightly golden.
- Add in the bok choy and vegan 'oyster' sauce.
- Stir-fry bok choy for 1-2 minutes and season if needed (adjust the time depending on the amount you have and the size of the bok choy).
- Finally, stir in the cornstarch slurry and toss everything until well-combined and cook until sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Note: Check this homemade vegan ‘oyster’ sauce if you can’t find any other brands.
- Cornstarch slurry is added to thicken the sauce and to give it a sheen look. It’s also optional if you prefer not to add it. Just be sure to shake off excess water once you’ve blanched the vegetables.
Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference.
I added tofu and garlic to the recipe. Delicious!
Made this for my family and everyone loved it!
Thank you for this practical recipe. I dont have experience with cooking stir fry veggie sides Asian style and this was the perfect complement to some lemongrass tofu i got at the store. I added garlic and thai pepper chunks with the ginger as well. yum.
Many, thanks Nam! I’m so glad you liked this stir-fry. I love lemongrass tofu too. 🙂
So simple and delicious! Can’t wait to explore more of your recipes!