Stir Fry Vegetables with Oyster Sauce

Have you noticed that Asians tend to love veggies more than Americans? That is because we know how to cook it! This is usually the token veggie dish when eating dinner at an Asian restaurant when doing family style.

For those who don't know what gai larn looks like. Also it is actually gai lan in Chinese, not gai larn. Chinese language has no "R" in it.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 lb gai larn or 13 oz broccoli
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- water or chicken stock, if needed
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1) If using gai larn, cut leaves away from the stems and discard (these are too tough to eat) Peel the stems if the skin seems thick, then cut the stems lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. Cut the strips across into 2 inch lengths. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and blanch the gai larn or broccoli for 1 minute. Drain in a sieve, then cool in a bowl of cold water.

2) If using Chinese greens, cut across into 2 inch lengths, discarding the hard bottom part of the stems. If using Chinese flowering cabbage, do not blanch, but set aside.

3) Heat the oil in a wok for 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds until it starts to smell fragrant. Add the blanched gai larn or broccoli, or the raw leafy greens and stir-fry until they are cooked, adding a tablespoon or two of water or chicken stock if the vegetables start to stick. Usually, the moisture from washing the vegetables (especially if you're using leafy greens) is enough to prevent this happening.

4) Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry for a few seconds. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Southeast Asia's Best Recipes from Bangkok to Bali by Wendy Hutton