Water bamboo and pak choi stir fry

After my series of pak choi recipes here are different versions of it. I love home cooking with pak choi as it is such a versatile vegetable. For these recipes, I have combined two of my favourites which are water bamboo and pak choi and make them into a stir fry. It is a no-hassle quick and easy to cook recipe. Great for lunch or dinner idea or as a side dish. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

This post does contain affiliate links which means I make a small commission at NO COST to you should you decide to click thru and make a purchase. For more information here is disclosure policy.

I got to know about water bamboo ever since finding out about it on a Facebook page run by a Shanghainese cook. As a result, I am now loving to cook it whenever I can. If you live in London and South China it is easy to get hold of it. If you don’t one can substitute it with canned bamboo shoots. It is not the same and the taste can change slightly. Bamboo shoot is not the same as water bamboo. Water bamboo has a slightly different texture and taste. Also known as Wild Rice Stem known in Chinese as 茭白 (Jiao Bai) or Zizania latifolia. It has many health benefits like it helps to detoxify the effects of alcohol and red eyes.

The good news is that Pak choi can be grown easily at home otherwise the big supermarkets here in the UK sell them. However, when they don’t grow as quickly as I want to eat them I get mine with my weekly online shopping from Waitrose. I have even seen them sold in supermarkets in Italy in the October season…

Water bamboo and pak choi stir fry

 Ingredients enough for 3-4 people as a side dish

4 water bamboo shoot

200 grms of pak choi

8 dried shitake mushroom

2 medium size carrot

3 cloves of fresh garlic (peeled and chopped finely)

3 spring onions (finely sliced).

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Cornstarch sauce :

1 teaspoonful cornstarch

1 teaspoonful oyster sauce

60 mls water (left from soaking dried mushroom)

Some black pepper and light soy sauce to taste.

 Preparation:

As with cooking any stir-fries, it is very quick to cook on high heat. Therefore it is important to prepare cut, prep, and get ready the sauces. this is so that they are all ready to go.

Wash, clean and slice the carrots and pak choi. Reconstitute the dried mushroom with some boiling hot water in a small bowl. when it’s soften slice the mushrooms into thin slices.

Slice the spring onions finely. Separate the white and green bits. As the white bits are use to fragrant the stir fry. therefore it is put in at beginning into the wok.

Prepare the sauce oyster sauce, cornstarch and 60 mls of leftover shittake water.

Cooking

In a hot pan or wok heat up the the cooking oil. then add the chopped garlic and white bit of spring onion. Fry till fragrant then add all of the vegetables like water bamboo carrots, pak choi, and mushrooms) Stir fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes till the pak choi starts to wilt. then pour in the corn starch sauce.

When the sauce is thickened and starts bubbling take it out of the heat. Add the sliced green spring onions. Add some pepper or soy sauce to taste.

It’s done and ready to eat. Serve on its own for a vegan dish with boiled rice. Or with some roast meat or fish. Enjoy.

Thank you very much for reading and dropping by. Here is a link to one of my early recipes using water bamboo and beef strips in a stir fry.

Water bamboo & Pak Choi Stir Fry

Here is a quick and easy to cook recipe of water bamboo and pak choi stir fry

• 4 medium water bamboo shoot
• 200 grms pak choi
• 8 dried shittake mushroom (or fresh shittake)
• 2 medium carrot
• 3 Cloves garlic
• 3 stalks spring onion
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

Cornstarch sauce

• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 60 mils liquid left over from soaking dried mushrrom
• black pepper and soy sauce to taste

1.  PREPARATION:

   As with cooking any stir fries it is a very quick to cook on high heat. Therefore it is important to prepare cut, prep and get ready the sauces. this is so that they are all ready to go.

   Wash, clean and slice the carrots and pak choi. Reconstitute the dried mushroom with some boiling hot water in a small bowl. when it’s soften slice the mushrooms into thin slices.

   Slice the spring onions finely. Separate the white and green bits. As the white bits are use to fragrant the stir fry. therefore it is put in at beginning into the wok.

   Prepare the sauce oyster sauce, cornstarch and 60 mls of leftover shittake water.

   COOKING

   In a hot pan or wok heat up the the cooking oil. then add the chopped garlic and white bit of spring onion. Fry till fragrant then add of the vegetables 9carrots, pak choi and mushrooms) Stir fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes till the pak choi starts to wilt. then pour in the corn starch sauce.

   When the sauce is thicken and starts bubbling take it out of the heat. Add the sliced green spring onions. Add some pepper or soy sauce to taste.

   It’s done and ready to eat. Serve on its own for a vegan dish with boiled rice. Or with some roast meat or fish. Enjoy.

Main Course

Chinese

water bamboo, pak choi