Wok Cooking Made Easy. Nongkran Daks

Cooking time: 5 mins

      1 Wash the peashoots carefully, and drain well. Remove and discard any wilted or yellowing leaves and tough stalks. Set aside.

       2 Combine the Sauce ingredients and set aside.

       3 Heat the oil in a wok until hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry quickly to release the aromas, about 30 seconds. Add the peashoots, turning several times to coat evenly with oil, and immediately add the Sauce and continue to stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until the leaves turn a darker green. Remove to a platter and serve immediately.

      Chinese peashoots (dou miao) are the delicate leaves at the top of pea plants. They are particularly good when stir-fried simply with a little oil and garlic. Substitute spinach or any other leafy green.

      Hot and Spicy Sichuan Tofu

      This dish is said to have been the speciality made by an old woman in a night market in Sichuan. Her dish was so renowned that people would travel from all over the province just to taste it. An equally tasty vegetarian version of this traditional recipe may be prepared with finely chopped black Chinese mushrooms.

      1 cup (5 oz/150 g) lean ground pork or chicken

      2 cakes soft tofu (10 oz/300 g each), drained

      2 red finger-length chilies, deseeded and minced

      6 cloves garlic, minced

      6 slices fresh ginger, minced

      3 tablespoons oil

      1 tablespoon black bean paste (tau cheo)

      1 teaspoon red chili oil or chili paste

      3 to 4 green onions (scallions), chopped

      1 teaspoon Sichuan Pepper-Salt Powder (see note)

      Marinade

      1 teaspoon cornstarch

      ¹/₂ teaspoon sugar

      1 teaspoon soy sauce

      1 tablespoon rice wine

      1 teaspoon sesame oil

      ¹/₂ teaspoon ground

      Sichuan pepper

      Sauce

      1 cup (250 ml) water or chicken stock