I know this is an easy dish that many people will know how to do...
And I also know that many people do not cook long beans this way..
I just want to share with you that long beans are extremely fragrant when cooked this way..
and this method can be applied to other leafy vege dishes in order to achieve that 'wok smell' (wok hei) that we can only get in restaurants.
Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic, smashed with the side of a cleaver(even if u want to chop it, u must smash it first. If not the fragrance will be different)
200 gm long beans (washed n cut into long slants)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp water (if u want it slightly softer)
Method
1. Heat wok until hot.
2. Put in salt, stir a bit and wait for them to be jumping around.
3. Put in oil (at this point, the wok will be smoky)
4. Put in garlic and stir.. be careful, it'll burn easily at this point
5. Put in long beans (should be slightly damp at this point) and toss well for 1 minute.
6. Pour water around the wok, not onto the beans. The steam will soften the beans a bit.
7. Dish up.
Warning: If u cannot stand the "green smell" of vege, you may find this too raw for ur liking. Adding more water to further cook it will spoil the original intended texture & smell. But in the end, u're still the one that'll eat ur own stuff... Up to u then.
Hey Wendy, thanks for the good tip. I am curious as to why you had added the salt to the wok first...
ReplyDeleteHey Wendy, I tried to make Fried Hor Fun again today using your advice. It works! The garlic and the very hot wok did the trick! I think now I understand the function of the salt - to test the temperature of the wok...
ReplyDeleteThanks! My Hor Fun tastes so much better now.
Shirley,
ReplyDeleteActually, why salt first.. Cos fried salt taste different.
When I was a small kid, fried sweet potatoes were served with fried salt. Fried salt had this very special taste of the wok, that's why I fried the salt first, before the veg. Yeah, and also when the salt is jumping, the wok will be very hot, and it will make quick stir fries very quick, sometimes almost burning!
Glad it worked for u.
Great tips!! I bet this tastes great. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks Memoria
ReplyDeleteFor me if pour with ikan bilis more nicer...fried the ikan bilis "garing-garing" and then put aside (don't fried together with the long bean)...after that fried the long bean with garlic...then pour the "garing" ikan bilis when serve..
ReplyDeleteFrom Patricia
Patricia,
ReplyDeleteThere are many ways to cook long beans and I'm sure your method taste superb.
The main objective of this post is to share how to get that wok smell that resembles restaurant fried vege, and long beans can be easily used to produce that smell, with the technique of frying the salt first.
Hmm...then the "wok hei"(wok gas) need to combine very well with lots of garlic...Great idea!! Next time i fried vege will use this method. Thanks..
ReplyDeleteFrom, Patricia
Patricia,
ReplyDeleteIf you've got the technique right, you don't need lots of garlic.
Sometimes not more will be better.
I can do a very good vege stir fry with just 1 clove of garlic but the wok temperature must be right.