Stir-fried Garlic Dou Miao in Soup Base Recipe (Pea Shoots)
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: garlic dou miao, garlic pea shoots, stir fried dou miao in garlic
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 25 minutesminutes
Total Time: 40 minutesminutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 228kcal
Author: Bee Leng | The Burning Kitchen
Simple to prepare, our version of garlic Dou Miao is a refreshing twist on the usual stir-fried garlic dou miao found in zi char stalls. Pea Shoots (Dou Miao) are poached with browned garlic in a tasty ikan bilis broth.
Remove the skin from the garlic, wash and pat dry.
Rinse the wolberries and set aside for later use.
COOKING METHOD
In a small pot, heat 1 TBsp of oil over high heat.
Add in the ginger slices and stir. Add in ikan bilis and stir fry for 1-2 mins until aromatic.
Pour 600 ml of boiling water into the pot and let it simmer for about 15-20 mins over medium heat with the lid half covered. Once done, pour out the ikan bilis stock onto a sieve into a bowl.
Meanwhile, heat up 5 TBsp of oil in a wok over medium heat. When the oil starts to bubbles, throw in the garlic and fry till golden brown. Remove and transfer to a plate.
Remove the oil from the wok, leaving about 1 TBsp of oil behind.
Turn the heat to high, add Dou Miao to the wok and stir fry for 1 min. Add in the fried garlic and pour in the ikan bilis stock together with the wolberries into the wok. Continue to cook until the Dou Miao withers.
Transfer to a deep plate and serve hot with a bowl of hot steaming rice. Add salt to taste.
Notes
MARKETING TIPS
Select Dou Miao with short stems and thick leaves. If the stems are long and skinny, they are usually very fibrous. You can break the stem to test if they snap easily. If not, they are usually tough and fibrous.
Do not keep the Dou Miao in the fridge for more than 2 days. Otherwise, it will age and turn fibrous. Get them fresh from the wet market and cook immediately.
COOKING TIPS
Be careful to watch over the garlic when frying, as garlic gets burnt easily.
Always turn the heat to high when frying dou miao to give the 'Wok Hei' like those served in zichar stall.
Cook the dou miao until it withers but is still green.
Taste the ikan bilis stock first before adding salt otherwise the whole dish will be too salty.
ALTERNATIVES
You can eat the ikan bilis instead of discarding it.
Use other vegetables like Chinese spinach (Yin Choy) or baby spinach as substitutes.
There are 2 types of Chinese Spinach: One has round leaves and the other elongated sharp pointed leaves. Personally, my family prefers the round leaves spinach as they have a smooth texture. The elongated ones are rougher in texture.
If you are using Chinese Spinach, remove the thin skin covering the stalk of the vegetable by breaking the stalk into 2 and just tearing the skin off otherwise it will be very fibrous. (There is no short cut to good food).
TIME SAVING TIP!
To save time, prepare the ikan bilis stock in advance and freeze it up. You can also put the stock into the ice tray. When frying vegetable instead of adding oyster sauce, you can simply add 2 ice cubes of ikan bilis stock to enhance the taste