[digital drifter]

The other day, I bought some Bok Choi and tried to make palak with it.  Can the white base stems also be thrown in?  I just threw in the leaves, stripped off the white fleshy  portions and threw it away.  There was a lot of it.  I was afraid it might make the palak bitter.

And more pertinently, what can one do with Bok choi in Indian cooking?

[WonderWomanUSA]

The broad white stems (along with the green bits) of bok choy are very nice in soups and stewed dishes, DD, so please try them.

[dzibead]

Yes, use the whole thing!  You can cut it into smaller strips if you prefer.

[iwanttogoback]

cut up fine you could use it for anything you might use a green veg such as spinach or cabbage.

do you stir fry food? if so, the stems are great, cut across the stem into strips about 5mm wide.

let us know how the experiments go - your kitchen habits keep us entertained and educated.

[digital drifter]

You mis-underestimate me.

You see,  I saw a BBC show on stir fry bok choi.  Toss the leaves in, throw in diced ginger and onion, sprinkle oil, cover with a lid and shake it a bit in high heat

hmmm....that didn't look difficult.

No one in the house has seen Bok choi.

I start the same thing and the damned leaves wilted and looked blanched as if someone took a blowtorch to it.

screw the stir fry.

Quickly added a cup of water, desperately mashed the leaves to make a paste. more water,boil the hell out of it.

Palak done.

Whew.


What's with the ginger?  Oh, that, that's to make the bok choi less bitter mom.   It's the secret ingredient in China.

My Dad said, fcuk if i'm going to have something done by this retard.  No I don't want that green turd.

I must say, it DID taste nice.  Honest.

[dzibead]

Well, Mr. Popcorn, I didn't think it was possible to mess up stir-frying bok choy!  The "secret" is:  cook it fast!

[WonderWomanUSA]

Like spinach, the bok choy greens turn to mush very quickly.

Basic Chinese "green vegetable" recipe:

Cook veg in boiling water for 3-5 minurtes. Drain. Heat oil and garlic in the wok, add veg and stir over high heat for about 3 mintues. Add a tablespoon or so of soy sauce, moosh it around one more time, and serve.

Bok choy is also sometimes steamed and served with oyster sauce.

[gautam]

Dear DD,

I would be grateful if you would please answer my questions so that I might better understand how to frame an answer .

1. Your purchase: was it as a novelty, a curiosity, a health food seen on TV, something to explore a new taste, or to find an analog for Indian Beet-spinach [note; not true spinach] palak, perhaps even a cheaper substitute?

2. Does your heart, or the family's inclination lie very much towards a palak-type mental identity for this vegetable?

3. Are they being urged to try something by you, to consider it a healthy adjunct to a diet with which they seem pretty content already?

4. Are you and your family vegetarians? Eggs?

5. Do you generally consume Tamil or other South Indian style vegetarian dishes? Is there a distinct preference for spices? Do you like kerala style avial and less spicy kalan type preparations? Appam-kurma?

6.  a. Do you care for true Chinese, especially Cantonese, cooking, as opposed to Indian redactions?

6.b. If yes, do you care for the flavor of dry shiitake mushrooms, and can you get them easily at at a reasonable price?

6. c. do you care for the taste of portobello and crimini mushrooms?

6. d. brown rice, long grain and basmati?

6. e. 1) firm tofu, 2)wheat gluten [called mein see in Chinese, seitan in Japanese] Canned wheat gluten is available in many flavors, e.g. mock duck, "fried gluten" in a small green can with peanuts, mock abalone, curried etc. This is one of the pillars of Chinese vegetarian Buddist cuisine.

6. f. Can you access, do you like veg [Lee Kum Kee brand ] or non veg oyster sauce? Korean Kochujang [chili bean sauce] ? now tha twe have so many Korean car interests, all of these should be easily available. Rice wine.

7. Do you enjoy the crisp, crunchy texture of Cantonese stir fry? To many Indians, it would seem almost raw, and almost unflavored.

http://forums.egulle...showtopic=75962

[digital drifter]

whoa chef Gautam,

All I wanted to know what to do with the white fleshy parts, not treated to  the spanish inquisition.

i bought bok choi to try it out, that's it.  Being vegetarian, any new vegetable I'd happily give it a shot.  Since making it correctly is one aspect of liking it or not, I thought I'd find out the correct ways to use the vegetable.

[digital drifter]

dzibead, on Jan 12 2008, 11:40 PM, said:

Well, Mr. Popcorn, I didn't think it was possible to mess up stir-frying bok choy!  The "secret" is:  cook it fast!

Now you tell me.