Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts and Flowering Chives

This a simple yet incredibly tasty stir-fry. The chive flavor complements the delicate mung bean sprouts, and a tiny bit of soy sauce rounds it all out.

The key to this dish is to keep the vegetables crisp rather than soggy or overcooked. Make sure the sprouts are dry, and cook them only until they are crisp, not soggy. While you can substitute standard Chinese garlic chives (韭菜), it's worth the effort to find the flowering chives for this dish; they have more texture, so they're crisper!

Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts and Flowering Chives (芽菜炒韭菜花)

(adapted from Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces mung bean sprouts, about 4 cups
• 4 ounces flowering chives
• 1½ teaspoon thin soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly shredded ginger

Method

Early in the day, wash the bean sprouts and chives and drain thoroughly in a colander until dry to the touch.

Discard the bottom inch of the chives, and cut the rest into 2-inch lengths.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, salt, and sugar; set aside.

Heat a wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the vegetable oil and ginger, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry another 30 seconds. Add the flowering chives and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until the chives are just limp. Swirl in the soy sauce mixture and cook 1 minute, or until the sprouts are cooked but still crisp. Do not overcook. Serve immediately.