Spicy pak choi recipe

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.

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.

Print Recipe

4.5 from 4 votes

Spicy Pak Choi with Sesame Sauce Recipe

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.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: dips and condiments, sides, Starters

Cuisine: Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Emily Leary

Ingredients

For the sesame sauce

• 25 g (2 tbsp) sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp soft light brown sugar
• 2 tsp vegetable oil (canola oil)

For the spicy pak choi

• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 3 tbsp sesame oil or groundnut oil
• 3 small (3) pak choi halved lengthwise
• 1 fresh red chilli deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic thinly sliced
• 100 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable stock vegetarian if required

Equipment

• Weighing scales
• Measuring spoons
• Kitchen knife
• Chopping board
• Wok
• Pestle and mortar
• Spoon

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

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 677mg | Potassium: 1121mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 18873IU | Vitamin C: 200mg | Calcium: 487mg | Iron: 4mg

* Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published. Information on this website should not be taken as medical advice. Cuisines identify the primary region of inspiration for a dish.

Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @amummytoo on Instagram or tag @EmilyLearyCooks on Twitter. I can't wait to see your posts!

Parragon gave permission for this recipe feature. Copy has had minor edits to match house style. 

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