Ever wondered what the leafy vegetable hanging out in your Chinese food is? Well, there's a 99.9 percent chance it's bok choy. But Chinese cabbage (also known as bok choy) isn't used exclusively in Chinese food—it's also quite common in Korean, Thai, and Japanese cuisine.
I'm unaware of bok choy used in any non-Asian dishes, though, which is really quite surprising considering how common greens are worldwide. Why not try bok choy coleslaw, slow-cooked bok choy, or creamed bok choy?
The recipe below can be considered the Thai version of creamed bok choy, which uses coconut milk to achieve the creamy goodness. The chilies in this might make the dish a little too spicy for most, so feel free to reduce the number. Enjoy!
Bok Choy With Lime Dressing
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 fresh red chilies, cut into thin strips
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 scallions, sliced diagonally
2 bunches bok choy, shredded
1 Tbsp. crushed peanuts
•In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice and soy sauce. Gradually pour in the coconut milk while stirring continuously. Set aside.
•In a pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and then the chilies. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and scallions and stir-fry for an additional minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
•Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the bok choy. Cook for 30 seconds, then remove and drain.
•In a large bowl, combine the cooked bok choy with the dressing and top with the stir-fried mixture.
Makes 4 servings
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Comments ( 5 )
Wait a second...thai food is the opposite of non-asian! You can't fool me.
Posted by Zane | August 29, 2008 2:13 PM
Posted on August 29, 2008 14:13
Grilled Bok Choy: Take 4 pieces of bok choy per person, brush lightly with canola oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill over med-high heat just until light charring appears. Serve with anything grilled!
Posted by Marc | September 1, 2008 3:06 PM
Posted on September 1, 2008 15:06
i love me some bok choy!
Posted by Joel Bartlett | September 2, 2008 9:51 PM
Posted on September 2, 2008 21:51
sounds lovely, really looking forward to cooking them for my husband
Posted by Saffra Cleo | September 15, 2008 8:03 AM
Posted on September 15, 2008 08:03
Marc: I tried your grilled bok choy, it was great. I had it with grilled portobella burgers and corn-on-the-cob. I love bok choy and always have. When I was little and my family ate at chinese restaurants, my mother could always count on me eating the bok choy.
Posted by Joan | September 16, 2008 4:43 AM
Posted on September 16, 2008 04:43