Boy Choy Love

I was pleasantly surprised to spot bok choy (also known as chinese cabbage) at the roadside bhajiwala earlier this week. This particular bhajiwala also keeps red and yellow bell peppers, baby corn, 2 different varieties of lettuce, a host of different kinds of greens, sprouts, mushrooms - basically more exotic stuff than the vegetables available at your local bhajiwala. He charged me a whopping Rs. 35 per head for it. I guess he must have noticed how  lovingly I had looked at it. He must have also noticed how I pontificated on the origins of the bok choy to this other woman (also shopping for vegetables) who had made the mistake of asking me what it was.

Bok Choy

Ah, well!  To cut the long story short, I just planned my entire dinner menu around my 'find' then and there - I would serve vegetable schezuan noodles with boy choy in garlic sauce. Luckily, the bok choy did not disappoint me. Its leaves were tender and not too bitter, and the stems were crunchy and fresh. And I managed to cook it well enough. In some oil, I sauteed crushed garlic until it turned light brown. Then I added some soy sauce and let the 'sauce' simmer for 30 seconds. In went the chopped boy choy, leaves as well as the stem; I sauteed it on high heat until the leaves wilted to a deep green. This was my bok choy in garlic sauce. 

But I finally did end up doing injustice to it. I served it with vegetable schezuan noodles. Ideally, it would've tasted best with some steamed jasmine rice or egg fried rice. Until next time then.