Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy (Su Chao Xiao You Cai)
素炒小油菜 · pan chinese cuisine
A home-style family recipe: the author learned it from her father, whose version had a flavor her boyfriend couldn't reproduce with an ordinary plain stir-fry. The keys are a very short blanch and an immediate cold-water rinse to keep the greens crisp.
Yuki TanakaTokyo-born, now in Chicago. I post about dashi, pickles, and bento for picky kids. My kitchen is tiny but my knife game is sharp.Nutrition & allergens
No supported allergens detected from surveyed ingredients.
Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- Unknown
- Protein (g)
- Unknown
- Fat (g)
- Unknown
- Carbs (g)
- Unknown
- Sodium (mg)
- Unknown
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
as needed
as needed
Chili pepper糍粑辣椒
as needed
scallion葱花
as needed
Wei Ji Xian premium light soy sauce味极鲜
as needed
Techniques you'll use
- Blanching (chao shui) ↗
Par-cook in boiling water to clean, tighten, or prep ingredients.
- Stir-frying ↗
Cook small pieces in stages, then bring them together while their textures are distinct.
Steps
Rinse the baby bok choy clean, then blanch it in a pot of boiling water. Keep the time short rather than long, adjusting for how tender or mature the greens are.
✅ Done when: The bok choy is just barely wilted and still bright green — pull it out quickly rather than letting it soften.
- 2
Step 2
Immediately after blanching, rinse the bok choy under cold water twice, until it is completely cool. This keeps the greens crisp.
✅ Done when: The greens feel fully cool to the touch after two rounds of cold water.
Heat oil in the pan, add the Sichuan peppercorns, and once fragrant, remove them. Add chopped scallion and chili, splash in soy sauce and give it a quick toss, then add the bok choy, season with salt, and stir-fry quickly over high heat for a few tosses before serving.
✅ Done when: The bok choy is heated through and glossy from the seasoning after just a few quick high-heat tosses — serve immediately.