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2005.11.18

Comments

Barbara Fisher

I adore pea shoots. I have used them to garnish jook before--they are good in a jook made with chicken-pork stock with some tiny bits of lop cheong in it.

I like pea greens too--I have decided that after we terrace our back yard and put in garden beds, I am going to grow peas mostly for the shoots and greens. Any peas we get are bonus!

Kirk

Pea Shoots are wonderful, especially the texture. We just quickly stir fry them over high heat - we have a 55,000BTU burner, with a bit of garlic and chili.

rokh

i remember as a kid, i used to refuse my vegetables (as most kids do!), and i only would eat pea shoots! my old time favourite. time to relive it. thanks for the inspiring recipe

Robyn

Barbara -- ah, great idea, pea shoots in congee! I agree about pea greens -- in fact I think they are the best green for soup noodles and I love them in a pasta. Unfortunately, can't find them here in KL!

Kirk -- I am pea green with envy. What I wouldn't give for even 15,000 BTU! I might say the only downside of living in KL is the electric cooktop in our kitchen (grrrr...).

rokh -- I only came to know pea shoots as an adult. Sounds like you have some lost (pea shoot eating) time to make up for!

virginia

Hi!
I tried to stir-fry pea shoots today for the first time (without blanching), but they came up tough and stringy. Did I need to trim them and remove the tougher stems before cooking? I would appreciate any advice on this subject. Many thanks,
Virginia

Robyn Eckhardt

Hi Virginia - were you working with pea shoots - similar to what I have pictured in opening photo? If I'm stir-frying these I'll wash then chop them (not finely - each shoot gets cut into about 3 pieces). I stirfry them on super high heat with oil and garlic and plenty of salt ... the water clinging to them should be enough to soften them but if not, after the initial fry, throw in a couple tablespoons of water and cover the pan to let them wilt. The whole process shouldn't take more than 5 mins.

If you're using pea greens - the larger leaves on the thick stem - take the leaves off and chop the tender part of the stem fine.

virginia

Hi Robyn,
Many thanks for your reply. I guess I did use pea greens--those with the curly tendrils, that are impossible to chew and eat, even after cooking. I am not sure what they were, as I bought the greens at a Korean store in my area (Fairfax, VA) and the signs are all in Korean, which I do not speak or read!
Anyway, I will try doing what you say next time I try to cook them.
Thanks again and best regards.
Virginia

Michael Tan

love eating dou miaw. Like to cultivate in my backyard. Anyone out there know where to source the seeds??
Michael Tan, Malaysia

Lorri

I noticed all these Chinese people freakin' out at the Asian market today. I peeked over the guys shoulder to see what all the fuss was about. They were all buying these fresh 'greens'. So, since this is how I, (polish girl) discovers whats good to eat in multicultural shopping districts.....I grabbed me a bag. 5.99 a lb. Steep, but what the heck!
Man, you should have seen their heads turn! They thought i was some hip cracker, alright! I asked, what kind of greens are these? "SNOW PEA GREENS! BERRY GOOD! BERRY FRESH!" (I love these people), so eager to share their culture with me. They proceeded to tell me to stir fry in chili oil, with salt and garlic!
Thats exactly what I did. DELICIOUS. They were 3-4 inch lenths of the snow pea plant with the tendrils at the end. Very cute. And yes, VERY fresh! Had them with pork& cilantro dumplings and Gyoza sauce.Nothing tough or stringy about them. Now THAT was good!

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