Stir Fried Garlic Dou Miao (Pea Shoots)

I love vegetables, especially when they’re simply steamed or blanched in water without any seasonings. The husband doesn’t share the same love so this stir fried dou miao dish is perfect for him.

I had some leftover Taiwan sausage in the fridge (yes I buy processed food too!) and sliced them up to add to the dish hoping that someone else would eat it. Although Taiwan sausage is delicious, I really recommend adding sliced chicken fillet strips (or pacific clams!) instead :)

The thing about stir frying vegetables is that it can become limp if you add too much seasonings like soy sauce or oyster sauce, and I’m not a fan of soggy vegetables (cooked-to-death napa cabbage and fishballs soup is another matter altogether. I LOVE IT!). My vegetables must be stir fried on high heat and remain bright and crunchy from wok to plate. Just a little bit of seasoning is enough. Really, vegetables give out water on their own and drowning them in even more liquid will make it a soggy mess. My choice of seasonings for stir fried vegetables are mushroom granules, XO sauce or a light sprinkle of fish sauce and Chinese cooking wine. With dou miao, take note not to undercook it or it will taste grassy, but don’t overcook it in sauces or liquid too. Use high heat and a bit more oil.

This is the mushroom granules that I use and I get a whole big packet from Sheng Siong:

What’s your favourite way to eat vegetables? Can you accept eating them without any condiments or dressing and simply steamed or blanched?