{Recipe} Stir-Fried Snow Pea Tips 炒豆苗

Happy Chinese New Year of the Monkey!

I hope all of you got to celebrate the Chinese New Year 2016 in some way and if you got to cook something off the Chinese New Year Cookbook, please share your favorite dishes from the mix.

If you are, like me, still experiencing a food coma from the over-extended celebration of Chinese New Year, I’ve got some idea for you – eat something light and refreshing, preferably green. Want more specifics? Try this classic stir-fried snow pea tips dish – it’s, in my opinion, one of the best cures to food hangover.

Snow pea tips, a.k.a. pea shoots, snow pea greens, dou miao 豆苗 in Mandarin are a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. If you have never seen them before, next time when you are at your local Chinese supermarket, look for these green leafy vegetables with hollow stems and curly tendrils either in a transparent bag or sitting loose on a shelf.

Pea tips are tender in texture and smells and tastes similar to that of snow peas. When picking the pea tips, look for the ones with large leaves and short and tender stems. The long stems tend to be pretty tough and best to avoid.

Once cooked, the pea tips become soft and have a unique refreshing and pleasant flavor that snow peas don’t quite have. I’ve also been told that they also make a great garden salad ingredient but have not done it to confirm.

To make this classic Chinese stir-fried pea tips, you’ll need a really hot cookware, preferably a cast iron skillet or a Chinese style wok. Unless you have commercial grade stove, for home cooking, I suggest quickly blanching the vegetable before stir-frying to reduce the liquid, creating a better taste.

One more tip about this recipe. If you really want to match the taste from the restaurant, try substitute a portion of cooking oil with lard, which further enhances the flavor of the pea tips.

Print Recipe

{Recipe} Stir-Fried Snow Pea Tips

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 4 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Make this flavorful Stir-Fried Pea Tips recipe following this step-by-step recipe at yireservation.com

Ingredients:

• 1.5lb snow pea shoots
• 2 clove garlic, sliced
• Salt to taste
• 1tbsp oyster sauce
• Lard* (optional)

Directions:

Depending on the batch of pea shoots you get, you might come across some tough stems that you will need to remove either with your figures or a knife. Thoroughly clean the pea shoots by rinse under cold water. Transfer the pea shoots to a colander to remove the excess water. Bring a big pot of water to bring. Add 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Blanch the pea shoots for 30 seconds or until just welted Heat up 2 tbsp of oil or lard * in your wok or frying pan** over high heat. Once the oil is smoky hot, add sliced garlic and fry for 5 seconds or until aromatic. Add the blanched pea shoots and quickly stir fry for 30 seconds. Add oyster sauce and salt and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Plate and serve immediately.

*lard is commonly used to enhance the flavor of this dish. I highly recommend if you would like to re-create the restaurant quality at home. Simply substitute 1tbsp of cooking oil with 1 tbsp of lard. **the key to this dish is to cook it quickly under high heat in a very hot wok or frying pan. If you have a cast iron skillet, you should use it instead of a regular pan.