Name: Stir-Fried Pak Choi
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 pak choi; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp dried chilli flakes; 2 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 2 tbsp Premium dark Soy sauce; 1 tbsp Sesame oil

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Stir-Fried Pak Choi

Pak choi (British English) or Bok Choy (American English) is a type of cabbage that originated in China.

This stir-fried pak choi recipe shows you how to cook it very quickly in a wok, using very simple Asian ingredients.

This dish is a great accompaniment to any Asian-style dish and is full of healthy green nutrients. I use the terms Pak choi and Bok Choy to refer to the same thing in this post.

pak choi or bok choy — Shanghai bok choy

Pak Choi Preparation

Pak choi is very easy to prepare. Just remove any excess root from the stem, so that the cabbage is still held together.

Then slice it lengthways in half, or even in quarters. I find the latter worked well as I used about 3/4 of a pak choi per person when I served up.

bok choy — Bok Choy cut into halves and quarters

You should wash the cabbage thoroughly after slicing it in case there are any insects hidden away in between the leaves.

But really you should wash all vegetables really before using, if you do not know where they have come from, just to be on the safe side. There can always be insecticides present.

Types of Bok Choy

There are several different types of pak choi. I have used ‘Shanghai bok choy’ in these photos which was grown in Ireland. Due to the prevalence of Chinese restaurants worldwide these days this vegetable is now more readily available, and grown in more locations.

pak choi in the wok — Stir-fried pak choi

The stems of this Shanghai pak choi are greener than the traditional white boy choy, which has whiter stems and darker green leaves.

The Shanghai bok choy, that I used in these photos, can get a bit greasy if overcooked, as it is not as crisp as the white bok choy, which is why I do not cook it for too long, and why I use the wok.

How to cook Pak Choi

I think cooking pak choi in the wok, sauteed pak choi, is the best way to cook it as it gives better control over the crunchiness. It also allows you to add taste to the dish by adding various ingredients to make it more interesting.

You can of course also have steamed pak choi, boiled pak choi or even roasted pak choi, but this is not as interesting as a recipe infused with garlic, ginger and Asian soy sauces.

bok choy with stir fry — Pak choi served with Hoisin duck stir-fry

I hope you enjoy trying this recipe. If you do try it please let me know how you get on in the comments section below.

How to make stir-fried Pak Choi in the wok

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Stir-Fried Pak Choi

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

This easy and quick side dish is a great accompaniment to any stir-fried Asian noodle dish.

Ingredients

2 pak choi
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Premium dark Soy sauce
1 tbsp Sesame oil

Instructions

Remove any excess butt from the pak choi, being careful that the cabbage does not fall apart. Then slice the pak choi lengthways in half, or quarters, depending on size. Then wash the pak choi under a cold water tap, and shake dry.
Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes to a wok and mix well.
Then add the pak choi to the wok and heat gently for 5-10 minutes or until the pak choi has reached the level of cookedness that you want (we like it a bit crunchy). Make sure the leaves are all well covered with the delicious sauce.
Serve up hot.

Notes

The chilli flakes add a bit of spiciness to the dish. Feel free to leave them out if you prefer.

Stir-Fried Pak Choi