The taste of Chun Cai is slightly bitter and it is a unique vegetable in the Chaoshan region. Not only does it have analgesic and hypnotic effects, but it can also reduce cholesterol and treat neurasthenia. Compared to ordinary vegetables, Chun Cai is more effective in relieving greasy tastes. It has a fresh and crisp taste, making it particularly suitable for consumption after eating too much greasy food.
Sliced Garlic with Chun Cai
Ingredients
Main ingredient: 350g Chun Cai. Secondary ingredients: 30ml fish sauce, 50ml vegetable oil, 30g garlic.
Method
1. Wash the Chun Cai, cut it into small pieces or separate into leaves, and slice the garlic cloves.
2. Heat the oil in a wok, add the sliced garlic to stir-fry until fragrant, then add the Chun Cai and stir-fry.
3. When the Chun Cai starts to shrink, add the fish sauce, stir-fry evenly, and serve.
Tips
This dish does not use salt, monosodium glutamate, and other seasonings, so its flavor is more natural and crisp. If you are not used to this taste, you can adjust it with your favorite condiments before serving.
Chun Cai and Marrow Bone Stew
Ingredients
Main ingredients: 1 marrow bone, 300g Chun Cai. Secondary ingredients: 10 dried scallops, 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger slices, 1 red chili, salt.
Method
1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for about half an hour. Slice the ginger, remove the seeds from the red chili, wash it and cut into diamond shapes. Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms, wash them, and cut them into small pieces. Wash the Chun Cai and separate the stems from the leaves.
2. Boil a pot of water, blanch the marrow bone, remove it and rinse with clean water to remove any scum.
3. Place the marrow bone and dried scallops in a pressure cooker, pour in an appropriate amount of water (not too much to avoid diluting the flavor), first on high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat once the pressure cooker reaches pressure, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Heat some oil in a pan, stir-fry the shiitake mushrooms until fragrant, add the stems of the Chun Cai and stir-fry briefly, then add the leaves and stir-fry until softened.
5. Pour the cooked marrow bone and scallop broth into a pot, bring to a boil, add the Chun Cai, bring back to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Add the ginger slices and red chili, season with an appropriate amount of salt, mix well, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Tips
If you do not have a pressure cooker and have enough time, you can skip step 3 and directly place the marrow bone and dried scallops in a pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 40-60 minutes before adding the Chun Cai.
Cold Mixed Chun Cai
Ingredients
Main ingredient: 500g lettuce. Condiments: peanut oil, salt, chicken powder, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1 wild chili pepper.
Method
1. Clean and prepare the Chun Cai, mince the ginger, and wash the wild chili pepper and cut it into rings.
2. Once the water in the pot comes to a boil, add a little salt and oil, blanch the lettuce briefly, and then soak it in cold water for a moment. Squeeze out the excess water from the Chun Cai, and cut it into small pieces.
3. In a small bowl, mix the minced ginger, sesame oil, salt, soy sauce, chicken powder, white sesame seeds, and wild chili pepper. Stir well and pour over the Chun Cai. Mix before serving.
Tips
The condiments can be adjusted according to personal taste. The dressing prepared in this method is rather spicy. If you do not prefer a spicy taste, you can adjust it by adding an appropriate amount of sugar and vinegar.