Need a quick dinner? Stir fries are the way to go! Stir Fried Yu Choy is fast, healthy, and satisfying. Sometimes I make it with tofu, but today I’m sharing my recipe for Stir Fried Yu Choy with Chicken. I love the Asian practice of using meat more as a flavoring ingredient than the center of the plate. This recipe calls for only 8 ounces of chicken, and feeds 4 people. It’s a healthy way to approach meat, and economical too.
Yu Choy
If you’ve never encountered yu choy before, it’s a leafy green vegetable that is grown all over China. It has long slender stems, and wide oval leaves. Yu choy has a mild, grassy flavor with a pleasant peppery bite. All of it is edible, and it benefits from a quick cooking method like stir frying that allows it to get crisp-tender. It’s worth seeking out, but if you can’t find it, baby or Shanghai bok choy makes a good substitute.
I like to first salt the yu choy so it releases its liquid. It takes about 15 minutes. I use that time to get everything else prepped and ready to go.
Stir Fry Success
No, you don’t need a wok. A large sauté pan works just as well. But there are a few tips to ensure success:
- Prep all your ingredients and have them within reach
- Aim for uniformly sized cuts of meat and veggies
- Get your pan really hot before adding oil
- Don’t over crowd the pan, work in batches if need be
- Keep it moving-it’s called stir-fry for a reason!
Cut the chicken into uniform thin strips:
The only thing left to do is season to taste. You can use black pepper, but white pepper is traditional in Chinese cooking, and brings a certain pleasant, earthy funk to it. Before you add anything else, take a small bite. Because the you choy has already been salted, you may find that the seasoning has enough salt for your taste. If not, add a little to adjust it.
A one dish meal ready in under 20 minutes? Yes please! Try my Stir Fried Yu Choy and let me know what you think by commenting below, and tagging us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you.
Want to try your hand at more stir fries? Check out:
Stir Fried Yu Choy
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs yu choy
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 fresh chiles minced or ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
- 2 tablespoons peeled and shredded ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 Tablespoons shaoxing wine
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- Salt and ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut across the yu choy to yield small ¼ inch slices.
- Put the yu choy into a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Mix to combine.
- Let the yu choy sit for 15 minutes, mixing occasionally. Drain the yu choy in a colander and squeeze tightly to eliminate liquid. Set aside.
- Cut the chicken into thin strips. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat for several minutes. Add 2 Tablespoons neutral oil, the chiles, ginger, and garlic. Stir fry for 20 seconds.
- Add the chicken and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the yu choy, 1 tablespoon of neutral oil, and the shaoxing wine. Raise the heat to high and stir-fry for 2 minutes, stirring and mixing continuously.
- Add the sesame oil and a couple dashes of ground white pepper. Stir and taste, adding a little salt or pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately.
