Beijing Bok Choy with Mushrooms


Adapted from Najmieh Batmanglij’s Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey. The author has travelled extensively along the famous trade route from China all the way to the Mediterranean. Her book contains a wealth of authentic meat-free recipes from the region.

Feel free to throw in additional vegetables as well — sliced green onions, celery or matchstick carrots, for instance.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • ¼ teaspoon chili paste (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Vegetable or peanut oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger root
  • 4 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 4-6 baby bok choy rinsed well and quartered lengthwise

Method:

  1. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in one-half cup water. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili paste, sugar and pepper. Stir well and set aside.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil in a wok. Add garlic, ginger, a splash of water and mushrooms.  Stir-fry for two or more minutes over high heat until mushrooms brown on at least one side. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Add a little more oil to the pan and heat.  Add bok choy in a single layer and cook until the vegetables begin to brown.  Turn and brown on the other side.  Add sauce, reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 5 or so minutes until bok choy are just tender.  Add mushrooms to the pan and stir.
  4. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve over cooked linguine noodles or rice.