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Oyster Sauce Vegetables in Garlic Oil
First posted in Jan 2010, updated in Mar 2017.
This plate of oyster sauce vegetables (油菜) in crispy garlic oil was one of the first vegetable dishes I made when I started cooking for the blog, and I am still making it regularly today. That’s almost 10 years!
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I can’t help making this classic homely dish again and again, because it is so quick & easy to whip up. It also accompanies any Chinese dish for a balanced and complete meal.
The baby bok choy (小白菜) are blanched in rapidly boiling water for only 10 seconds. It’s optional, but I usually lower the stems into the boiling water with tongs for 5 seconds (pictured above), before dropping the whole bunch into the boiling water for another 5 seconds. So it’s stems: 10 seconds, leaves: 5 seconds if you want to be a perfectionist XD If this is your first time blanching this vegetable, you may be surprised how quick it is to cook them.
As for the sauce, it is non-cooking – just dilute oyster sauce with hot water and balance the saltiness with a small amount of sugar.
The garlic oil with crispy chopped garlic is the fun (yummy) part. You can make a small amount just for one serving each time you make this dish, but I usually make a bigger quantity & keep the extra garlic oil in the fridge. By preparing beforehand, I can come home after work and whip up this vegetable dish in 10 minutes. The solidified oil thaws quickly at room temperature. Check out the step-by-step pictures for making crispy garlic in garlic oil.
I should learn from you and cook more veg. My hubs always complain that I don’t care about the poor veg =P looks so good! Simple and delicious!
Oh, I love how you arranged the bok choy! This I need to copy, make it so presentable.
yes it’s much easier to eat also, I find it so hard to eat the whole bok choy with the stem :-)
You make them look so good with the oyster sauce and garlic! Thanks for the tip about the oyster sauce! I am trying to eat more greens too.
Love it! I’m trying to incorporate more greens too…’trying’ being the operative word:)
Wow, you make these simple blanched greens look so beautiful and perfect :). In my area, the restaurants do not dilute the oyster sauce, but instead just serve it in a swiggle on top of the gailan or on the side on the same plate- usually that helps dilute it, but still it is quite salty!
That looks very green, delicious and healthy. I would really love that. I always have fried garlic oil reday too. It makes cooking very easy and quick. I love green leafy vegetables too but we have quite limited choice here. I really miss all the many different types found back home.
oh but in exchange, you have more “exotic” vegetables there like parsnips, brussel sprouts etc which is quite hard to find here sometimes. :-)
That’s the perfect side dish!
This looks delicious, I love your photos, the green really pops. I have never blanched bok choy before using it, it doesn’t take long to cook anyways. Will try next time.
Hope u like it :)
Steaming and blanching are my preferred method of cooking vegetables. Easy and quick! Read somewhere that steaming retains more nutrients, so I try to use more steaming now!
I like steaming and blanching too! I prefer to steam “harder” vegetables like broccoli and blanch the leafier ones. But I like both methods :)
You have presented this very nicely!