April 27, 2017
This is the 3rd  recipe in the series "Greens Glorious Green"  and I will be preparing steam baby bok choy aka pop chow or pak choi. However I must tell you about my trip to a Korean store when I first moved to this country.
Going in search of  pop chow aka pak choi?
Craving for some steamed baby bok choy, I made a trip to the store to purchase some pop chow or so I thought. In Jamaica we know this green and white leaf vegetable as pak choi but most of us call it ‘pop chow’ and spell it the same . So I proudly asked for ‘pop chow’ and received a bewildered look, perhaps my accent and the strange name did not register in the upper part of the green grocer’s brain. He said “no, none” and used his head to gesticulate further, “none.” So I moved on and while walking around the store I found the vegetable, but to my surprise it was called Bok Choy. There it was written on a piece of card board and propped up behind a stack of them. I smiled with the realization that one vegetable had two names.
Bok Choy Wedges
Years later I was speaking to my sister Bubbles who still lives in Jamaica. I was giving her ideas about vegetable stir fries and was rattling off a list of vegetables that she could use until I mentioned bok choy. She said “what?” then I caught myself and said “pop chow man! same thing, but that is what them call it over here.”
Bok Choy
I frequently make all the varieties of  bok choy  but I am more in love with the baby version. There are several ways to prepare it. Sometimes I stir fry it with a medley of carrots, cabbage, mushroom and bell peppers. More often I like it lightly steamed on its own with oyster sauce, ginger, garlic and onions. I can’t tell you how delicious this dish is. You just have to try it and let me know what you think. Trust me, I am a meat lover but sometimes all I need is this steamed baby bok choy over a bowl of steaming white rice.
Yeild 4
Serves 4
Simply delicious when you are craving a meatless day. Enjoy this steamed baby bok choy with caramelized onions over a bowl of steaming white rice or quinoa.
15 minPrep Time
10 minCook Time
25 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 heads of baby bak choy cut in half, then quartered, leaving them intact
- 2 garlic cloves grated or minced
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Soak bak choy in salted water to release and sand. Rinse and repeat
- Slice onions, grate or mince garlic, grate ginger set aside
- Heat olive oil in heavy base frying pan
- Saute onion for 3 minutes or until translucent, stir frequently
- Add ginger , saute for 1 minute
- Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant
- Add 1/4 cup oyster sauce, cook for 1 min
- Add bak choy on its back withthe wedges faced up
- Sprinlke red pepper flake over bak choy
- Move around gently for about 1 minute
- Scoop sauce and drizzle over wedges while moving around
- Cover and steam for 2 mins, repeat drizzling and remove from heat
- Serve over steaming white rice or your choice of side
