This simple, spicy pak choi is delightfully simple and utterly delicious. It's fried in chilli and garlic and dressed in a nutty, warm sesame dressing.
The recipe is from Parragon's Eat Your Greens and the first time I made it, I was astounded by how deliciously authentic it tastes. The sauce is perfectly seasoned and the dish achieves the ideal balance of spicy and sweet.
Best of all, it's incredibly easy to make, with ingredients and equipment that should be easy to puck up from your local supermarket.
You'll make a simple sesame dressing by toasting sesame seeds and then grinding up with soy sauce, sugar and oil. You'll then fry the tender young pak choi in sesame oil with chilli and garlic before serving drizzled with that gorgeous, nutty dressing.
Here's how to make this spicy pak choi.
Ingredients
For the sesame sauce
- 25 g (0.9 oz) sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp soft light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
For the spicy pak choi
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 3 tbsp sesame oil or groundnut oil
- 3 small pak choi halved lengthwise
- 1 fresh red chilli deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 100 ml (3.4 floz) vegetable stock vegetarian if required
Equipment
Instructions
Make the sesame sauce
Put the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan.
Toast over a medium heat, stirring until lightly browned.
Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Transfer to a mortar.
Add the soy sauce, sugar and crushed garlic.
Pound to a coarse past with a pestle.
Stir in the sesame oil (not shown).
Make the spicy pak choi
Heat the groundnut oil in a wok or large frying pan.
Add the chilli and sliced garlic and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds.
Add the pak choi.
Fry for 5 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with the oil as you go. Add the stock as needed to prevent sticking.
Transfer the pak choi to a warm serving dish.
Drizzle over the sesame sauce and serve immediately.
Tip! When selecting your pak choi for this recipe, choose small ones with perky leaves and unblemished stems.
Here's the recipe for spicy pak choi again in a printable format.
Spicy pak choi with sesame sauce
Ingredients
For the sesame sauce
- 25 g (0.9 oz) sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp soft light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
For the spicy pak choi
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 3 tbsp sesame oil or groundnut oil
- 3 small pak choi halved lengthwise
- 1 fresh red chilli deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 100 ml (3.4 floz) vegetable stock vegetarian if required
Instructions
Make the sesame sauce
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
- Transfer to a mortar. Add the soy sauce, sugar and crushed garlic and pound to a coarse past with a pestle. Stir in the sesame oil.
Make the spicy pak choi
- Heat the groundnut oil in a wok or large frying pan.
- Add the chilli and sliced garlic and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds.
- Add the pak choi and fry for 5 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with the oil as you go. Add the stock as needed to prevent sticking.
- Transfer the pak choi to a warm serving dish, drizzle over the sesame sauce and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Parragon gave permission for this recipe feature. Copy has had minor edits to match house style.
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Made With Pink says
This sounds so good. I'm on a major Asian kick at the moment, but Pak Choi isn't something I use that much, although I do like it. I'm definitely trying this. So simple!
Debbie Skerten says
This is my kind of recipe. I love pak choi and this sounds wonderful x