{"id":20503,"date":"2018-10-10T13:30:32","date_gmt":"2018-10-10T05:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/?p=20503"},"modified":"2022-07-14T20:41:27","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T12:41:27","slug":"chinese-broccoli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/chinese-broccoli\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese broccoli – How to cook in 3 simple steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Blanch or stir-fry Chinese broccoli (\u82a5\u5170<\/strong>, Gai Lan, Chinese kale) drizzled with oyster sauce is served in high-end restaurants as well as an easy home-cooked dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese broccoli is a leafy vegetable<\/strong> with broad flat leaves and fat stems. It looks different from regular broccoli and has a bitter note. It belongs to the same family of regular broccoli but with no florets, and the stalk has a crunchy texture that resembles asparagus. The leaves are thick and chewy, which will soak up all the flavors of the sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are varieties of species that are all suitable to be used in this Chinese broccoli recipe.\u00a0 I like the Hong Kong Chinese broccoli, which looks great when served.\u00a0 In fact, most of the Chinese restaurants in Malaysia use this species for their Hong Kong Gai Lan dish. Baby Chinese broccoli is more tender and tastes great, but it may not look so gorgeous on the dining table.\u00a0 The choice is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This vegetable should be available in most Asian markets. If you can\u2019t find this vegetable, substitute it with\u00a0broccolini,<\/strong>\u00a0the crossbreed of Chinese and regular broccoli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article explains how to cook Chinese broccoli by following a few simple steps. If you do it correctly, you should be able to produce the crispy vegetable and drizzle it with the sauce flavored with whole garlic and sliced ginger in less than fifteen minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my <\/em>privacy policy<\/em><\/a> for more info. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tips on how to cook Chinese broccoli<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here is a list of important tips about the ingredients and the way they should be prepared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Use the oyster sauce as the main seasoning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I have to admit that this gai lan recipe is oversimplified and gives the impression that it only involves oyster sauce. In reality, the sauce is a combination of a list of ingredients, with oyster sauce<\/a> as the main ingredients. You will miss out on the authentic flavor of the dish if you miss this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Don’t forget to add some sugar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unlike regular broccoli, Chinese broccoli has a slightly bitter taste.\u00a0 Hence, adding a small amount of sugar is always necessary to balance the bitterness. Combining a small amount of sugar with the oyster sauce dramatically improves the dish’s overall flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Use a good quality light soy sauce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Soy sauce has powerful umami, which can pump up the overall flavor of the Gai Lan. In addition, using the premium grade\u00a0light soy sauce<\/a>\u00a0along with oyster sauce boosts up the taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use the vegetarian version of the oyster sauce<\/a> (made with mushrooms) if you prefer a vegetarian dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Sesame oil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Add a dash of sesame oil<\/a> to the above ingredients once the sugar is dissolved and away from heat. Sesame oil will lose its flavor due to prolonged heating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Saut\u00e9 the garlic and ginger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ginger and garlic are your secret ingredients to flavor the Chinese broccoli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may want to saute the whole cloves of garlic uncut.\u00a0 The garlic cloves can be served together with the vegetables. On the other hand, saut\u00e9 the finely chopped garlic until golden brown and crispy.\u00a0 Keep it at a low flame as it can burn easily. Remove the garlic and use the infused\u00a0vegetable oil<\/a> to stir-fry the vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ginger pieces should be cut into a disk of about 1\/8 inch thick and saut\u00e9ed with the oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aromatics infuse the oil, similar to preparing agleo e oleo pasta, that the garlic oil is a vital part of the overall flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you prefer a stronger flavor, you may want to double the quantity of ginger and garlic in the Chinese broccoli recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. How to choose Chinese broccoli<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here is a quick guide on how to choose Chinese broccoli in case you are not familiar with it<\/p>\n\n\n\n