This week we are able to give all our Vegbox customers a portion of our lovely and fresh pak choi. Also known as Chinese cabbage or bok choi, this brassica is commonly found in stir frys and soups. It’s best to eat it mildly cooked but it can also taste great raw when young. Add your pak choi to a noodle soup or a vegetable stir fry for that extra crispy texture and sweet taste.
Ingredients
- 250g fresh firm tofu, drained
- 2 tbsp groundnut oil
- 1cm piece ginger, sliced
- 200g pak choi, leaves separated
- 1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- cooked jasmine rice, to serve
For the marinade
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Preparation method
- Gently prick a few holes in the tofu with a toothpick (this will help the marinade to soak into it, giving better flavour), then cut into bite-size cubes.
- Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and toss in the tofu pieces. Set aside to marinate for 10-15 mins.
- Heat a wok over high heat and add half the groundnut oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the ginger slices and stir-fry for a few secs. Add the pak choy leaves and stir-fry for 1-2 mins. Add a small splash of water to create some steam and cook for 2 mins more. When the leaves have wilted and the stems are cooked but still a little crunchy, season with salt and transfer to a serving dish.
- Rinse the wok under cold water, then reheat it and add the remaining oil. When it starts to smoke, add the tofu pieces (retaining the marinade liquid) and stir-fry for 5-10 mins. Take care not to break up the tofu as you toss it to get it browned evenly on all sides. Season with the rice wine and rice vinegar. Add the remaining marinade liquid, bring to the bubble and let the liquid reduce. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes and toss well. Spoon onto the pak choy and serve immediately with jasmine rice, if you like.
Recipe and picture from BBC Good Food.