Stir-fried Baby Kailan with Salted Fish
Recently, I am in love with stir frying vegetables because it is much cheaper to cook them at home. For example, the pack of baby kailan I used for this dish is only S$0.60 and the total cost of making the dish is only about a dollar or so. This is a fraction of the price which outside is charging! In this recipe, salted fish flavours the baby kailan and depending on the salted fish you use, it is usually not necessary to season with salt or soy sauce.
I have a love-hate relationship with stir frying vegetables because I’m so scared of oil splatters. My family is quite accustomed to hearing sudden yelps of “Ouch!” whenever I got splattered by the hot oil. I was so scared that I even stir fry the vegetables at a low heat. But later, I found out that stir frying vegetables at high heat for a short period yield better results. The trick is to dry your vegetables well (either air dry or spin dry) after rinsing to avoid splatters.
Stir-fried Baby Kailan with Salted Fish Recipe
Different brands of salted fish have varying degree of saltiness so season the dish to taste accordingly if necessary.
Ingredients:
- 200g baby kailan ends trimmed and then cut roughly to smaller pieces
- 15g dried salted fish (咸鱼) soaked in water to soften, patted dry with kitchen towel, then diced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped finely
- 2 tbsp of cooking oil
- 1/2 finger length red chilli deseeded and sliced thinly
- 1/2 tbsp Chinese wine (Hua Tiao/Shao Hsing)
- thin lemon slices optional
Directions:
- Heat oil in wok and fry salted fish until golden brown.
- Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add baby kailan and sliced chilli. Stir fry briskly at high heat, until the vegetables have just withered and are well coated in the oil.
- Drizzle Chinese wine just before you finish cooking. Garnish and serve with thinly sliced lemon wedges.
Noob Cook Tips
- To prevent splatter, after you wash the vegetables, air dry or spin dry them before stir frying.
- Stir frying on high heat for a short time allows the vegetables to be crisp and still retain their beautiful hue.