Stir-Fried Edamame with Grandma's Preserved Vegetables (Wai Po Cai Chao Mao Dou)
外婆菜炒毛豆(下饭菜) · pan chinese cuisine
This homestyle dish pairs tender edamame with wai po cai (a salty, savory mixed preserved-vegetable relish), fluffy scrambled eggs, and marinated ground pork. The author notes it is so good with rice that it always earns an extra bowl. A tip from the source: blanch the edamame ahead of time, and finish with a starch-water slurry so the beans soak up the sauce fully.
Rosa DelgadoThird-generation Tex-Mex cook learning my abuela's tamales before it's too late. Masa is a living thing, y'all. Also deep in a sourdough phase I can't explain.Nutrition & allergens
Contains:Egg
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.
mao dou （ xian ）［ qing dou ， cai yong da dou ］毛豆（鲜）［青豆，菜用大豆］
7.05 oz
egg鸡蛋
2.0 piece
3.53 oz
as needed
2.0 piece
Techniques you'll use
- Marinating ↗
Season protein ahead with soy, wine, and starch for flavor and texture.
- 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.
- Aromatic blooming (bao xiang) ↗
Bloom ginger, garlic, and chili in hot oil to build the aroma base.
- Simmering (dun) ↗
Gentle low-heat cooking in liquid until flavors merge and meat softens.
- Starch thickening (gou qian) ↗
Thicken sauce so it clings to every piece.
Steps
Gather 200 g edamame, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons preserved vegetable, and 2 bird's eye chilies; slice the ginger and garlic. Marinate the 100 g ground pork ahead of time with light soy sauce, cooking wine, and white pepper.
✅ Done when: All ingredients are prepped and the pork has finished marinating while you work.
Blanch the edamame in salted water for about 5 minutes — the salt keeps the beans a vivid green. Drain well and set aside.
✅ Done when: The edamame is bright green and tender after about 5 minutes, and drained of water.
Heat oil in a wok, add the eggs, and scramble them into small curds; remove and set aside.
✅ Done when: The eggs are fully set into small cooked pieces.
Add a little more oil to the wok, add the ground pork, and stir-fry until it changes color, then add the ginger and garlic slices and stir until fragrant.
✅ Done when: The pork is no longer pink and the ginger and garlic smell aromatic.
Add the preserved vegetable and stir-fry everything together.
✅ Done when: The preserved vegetable is evenly mixed and heated through with the pork.
Add the edamame, scrambled eggs, and bird's eye chilies. Season with 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, a small half-spoon of dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, and a small half-bowl of starch-water slurry. Add a little salt to adjust the seasoning, simmer covered for 5 minutes, and reduce the liquid before serving.
✅ Done when: After 5 minutes of simmering the sauce has reduced and coats the ingredients rather than pooling.
- 7
Step 7
Plate and serve.
✅ Done when: The dish is transferred hot to a serving plate, ready to eat.