Bok Choy is a favourite Asian vegetable. It’s versatile, too! Here’s a spicy version of the Bok Choy, made with a fiery chilli dip from Taipei!
I turn to Bok Choy at every chance I get. It’s my go to ‘token’ vegetable item when cooking at home; I particularly love it with Oyster Sauce and green peas. However, having beaten that recipe with a bat waaaayyy too many times, I decided to try something different.
A friend of mine bought me this particular chilli paste from his trip to Tainan, Taiwan. My friends are well aware of my obsession with chilli in all its forms, so this was a naturally well-received gift! I was told that I could use this for stir-fries or as a side when I am having rice with some meat, as is quite common in Chinese food. This paste was extremely fiery, I was coughing and sputtering while the chilli paste was cooking away. However, the final dish turned out so well!
Substitutes
I recently posted a Bok Choy recipe on my Instagram that’s made slightly differently, with chilli padi and turmeric. That, too, was an ode to my love for spicy food. If you’re not into the spice, you can always make the Oyster Sauce version. In the case of this recipe, I know this is not the easiest chilli paste to come by. To circumvent, I suggest exploring the aisles of the supermarket. I usually create recipes that are quite versatile, and this one is no exception. When making this, feel free to substitute the chilli that I’ve used here with Sambal Belacan, Sambal Olek, Chilli Flakes in Oil or any other equivalent that you feel will make you happy. I daresay you can try using Chicken Rice Chilli Sauce for this – it’ll taste great!
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Medium Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Chilli Paste of your choice
200g Bok Choy, stalked and washed
Salt, to taste
In a large skillet, heat up the oil and add the red onion slices. Fry till you hear the song of the onions sweeten in the pan (i.e., the slices soften. Please excuse my kitchen poetry). Then, add the chilli paste and continue to fry. Make sure the chilli fries well – raw chilli will taste quite spicy.
After about 3 minutes, add the greens, stir as much as you can and clamp on a lid. Allow the steam to wilt the greens a little, about 2 minutes. Remove the lid and stir through. Continue to cook until desired crunch (or lack thereof) is achieved.
Serve warm with hot rice and even hotter curry. Yums.
