Baby bok choy, also known as “spoon vegetable” in Taiwanese (or, uhhh . . at least that’s what my dad calls it), is a member of the brassica rapa species, which it shares with napa cabbage, turnips, rapini, and mizuna. This is one of my favorite vegetables to buy in Chinatown for several reasons: it’s easy to clean; it cooks very quickly; and it’s delicious and healthy!
Add ~ 1 T canola oil to a wok under high heat. Once hot, add a handful (~ 7-10) of dried baby shrimp and let it cook until fragrant (~ 1 minute). Finally, add the washed bok choy leaves. Add a small bit of water (1 T) and cover for about 1-2 minutes. Stir the dish around some more and flavor with salt, pepper, and optionally dashi (Japanese soup base) to taste.
If you have no dashi, you can try adding a few cloves of crushed garlic instead in the 1st step.
I read an interesting article by Jaden at Steamy Kitchen who recommends cooking the garlic starting with cold oil to prevent burning. It’s an interesting method that I might try as well.
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Using your recipe, I finally cooked my bok choy correctly. Steamed just perfectly, not soggy. Thanks. 🙂