Brassica rap var. chinensis, the Latin name for bok choy, is also referred to as Chinese white cabbage, bok choi, pac choi or white mustard cabbage. This traditional stir-fry vegetable has a mild flavor with crunchy white stalks and tender green leaves. Bok choy is one of many hundreds of plants in the brassica family cultivated in eastern Asia that was brought to the western world by Chinese immigrants in the early 1800’s.
Here in Maine, bok choy grows best in the cooler seasons of spring into mid-summer. Fall crops can be quite prolific, and bok choy can withstand a light frost, which sweetens the flavor. Once cultivated primarily as a specialty crop, bok choy has become mainstream, and is readily available in farmers’ markets and other local food stores.
For the home gardener, flea beetles, that tiny garden pest that chews holes in brassica’s succulent leaves, LOVES bok choy. To fend off this feeding frenzy, you will want to cover the crop with an insect barrier like a lightweight non-woven polypropylene fabric, sold by garden supply stores and seed companies.
Bok choy is a nutritious vegetable, often eaten sautéed, or as part of a soup. Small heads are delectable when lightly coated with oil and grilled. Chopped stir-fried bok choy is handy to toss with cooked rice or noodles for a quick summer salad. An excellent source of Vitamins A, B-complex, and some minerals, bok choy has 24 calories per one cup serving.
The recipe for Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Cashew Sauce is simple to prepare and popular with all types and ages of palates. We enjoyed the preparation over white Basmati rice with sweet and sour meatballs. Encores, or leftovers of this tasty dish, would be good stirred into cooked pasta and tossed with chopped carrots, sugar snap peas and radishes. In the kitchen, Cashew Sauce is a versatile dressing for coleslaw or as a dipping sauce for fresh, seasonal vegetables and grilled meat satays.
Other terms for bok choy also include horse’s ear and Chinese celery cabbage. No matter what you call it, this multi-purpose, culinary, calcium-packed vegetable is beautiful to me.
Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Cashew Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds bok choy
- ¼ cup mild cooking oil peanut, canola
- ½ cup roasted not raw cashews
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoons minced or grated fresh gingerroot
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2– 4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Assemble ingredients and tools.
- Separate the leaves of bok choy from the stalks and wash well.
- Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces and roughly chop the leaves. Set aside.
To prepare the sauce:
- Add the roasted cashews, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger and red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons of water to the bowl of your food processor or blender.
- Puree until smooth, adding more water if needed. Set aside. Makes about 1-cup sauce.
To prepare the Bok Choy:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the stems of the bok choy and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp tender.
- Add the leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until they are wilted and bright green.
- Turn the cooked bok choy out onto a platter and cover with ½ cup sauce.
- Delicious when served over rice, either hot or at room temperature.
Cheryl's Notes