Stir-fried pak choi with garlic
Quick Chinese-style stir-fry: tender-crisp pak choi tossed with fragrant garlic, soy and oyster glaze, finished with sesame.
This is the sort of lightning-fast vegetable side that makes a midweek meal sing: crisp-tender pak choi, lots of garlic and a sticky soy–oyster glaze. It’s at home beside noodles, steamed fish or simply a bowl of steamed rice.
The trick is high heat and minimal fuss — you want bright green stalks and wilted leaves with a shiny glaze. Ready in under 25 minutes from fridge to plate, and utterly moreish.
Ingredients
- 600 g pak choi
- 6 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 5 g caster sugar
- 30 ml water
- 5 ml toasted sesame oil
- 10 g sesame seeds — toasted
- 2 spring onion — thinly sliced, green part for garnish
- sea salt — to taste
Equipment
- wok or large frying pan
- tongs or spatula
Instructions
Prepare the pak choi: trim and discard any tough base, separate leaves and stalks if large, then rinse thoroughly to remove grit. Shake or pat dry with kitchen paper — dry leaves give a better stir-fry.
Mix the sauce: in a small bowl combine light soy sauce, oyster sauce, caster sugar and water until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high hob setting until very hot, then add the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and fry, tossing constantly, for 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
Add the pak choi to the wok in a single layer if possible and stir-fry over high heat, tossing every 20–30 seconds, until stalks are bright and just tender and leaves have wilted, about 2–3 minutes.
Pour in the sauce, toss to coat and let it bubble for 30–60 seconds so it reduces slightly and glazes the leaves. If the sauce reduces too fast, add a splash more water.
Turn off the heat, drizzle over the toasted sesame oil, scatter the sesame seeds and sliced spring onion, then season lightly with sea salt if needed and toss once to combine.
Serve immediately while glossy and hot — this is best eaten straight from the wok.
Tips
- Dry the pak choi thoroughly after washing — excess water turns the hot pan into a steamer and makes the veg soggy.
- Use a very hot wok or frying pan and keep the veg moving; high heat gives that seared edge and keeps stalks crisp.
- If you need a vegetarian version, use a mushroom-based vegetarian oyster sauce and add a splash more soy to boost umami.
- Make-ahead: you can prepare the sauce and slice garlic up to a day ahead; cook the greens only at service to retain texture.
- Leftovers keep 1–2 days in the fridge; reheat quickly in a hot pan for 1–2 minutes to avoid limp leaves.
Substitutions
oyster sauce → vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce, same quantity (15 ml)
Stays closelight soy sauce → tamari, same quantity (15 ml) for a gluten-free option
Stays closepak choi → gai lan or choy sum, same weight (600 g)
Stays closevegetable oil → peanut oil, same quantity (30 ml) — adds a little aroma
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 128
- Calories
- 3 g
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 350 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use frozen greens?
You can, but they will release more water and won’t get the same crisp-tender texture. Thaw and squeeze out excess water before frying, and reduce the initial oil slightly.
Is oyster sauce essential?
It provides a glossy umami depth but you can swap for a vegetarian mushroom sauce or add a little hoisin and extra soy if needed.
How do I stop the garlic burning?
Keep the garlic moving in the hot oil and remove the pan briefly from the heat if it starts to brown too fast; add the pak choi quickly to cool the oil slightly.
Can I make this in advance?
Partially: prepare the sauce and slice garlic ahead, but cook the pak choi just before serving for best texture.
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