Stir-Fried Sesame Baby Bok Choy

Having a great bok choy recipe means you have an easy, satisfying side to add to any weeknight meal. The vegetable itself is a mildly sweet and peppery variety of Chinese cabbage that’s sold both in its mature state and as a “baby” variety. Baby bok choy is harvested when it’s young, tender, and small (around just three to five inches in length), making it ideal for steaming, boiling, roasting, and, of course, stir-frying, as we do here. 

To prepare bok choy for cooking, you’ll want to trim and discard the rough bottoms of the vegetable before following any recipe instructions. It’s not uncommon to see baby bok choy halved or quartered, but for this stir-fry, we separate the leaves so that they cook quickly and evenly. After cooking with garlic, ginger, and a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, and touch of sugar, the green leaves emerge from the wok crisp-tender and aromatic. A drizzle of sesame oil adds a nutty finish.

Editor's note: This recipe was originally published in The Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Diana Kuan and first appeared on Epicurious July 2, 2013.