Yunnan steamed vegetables with garlic oil

蒸青菜 - Zhēng qīngcài

In Yunnan cuisine, vegetables are not only stir-fried, but are also often steamed. Steaming keeps flavour, colour and texture at their best. Warm garlic oil provides a subtle, fragrant finishing touch without overpowering the vegetables.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 10 minutes
Cooking: approx. 8 minutes
Total time: approx. 18 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 g vegetables (e.g. pak choi, broccoli, Chinese cauliflower or chard)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. sunflower or groundnut oil)
• Salt, to taste

Preparation

1. Wash the vegetables thoroughly in plenty of cold water. Remove any damaged parts and tough ends.
2. Cut the vegetables into large, even pieces so everything cooks at roughly the same time.
3. Peel the garlic and slice it thinly.
4. Set up a steamer basket or steaming insert that fits in a suitable pan.

Method

1. Bring the steaming water to the boil
   Bring a shallow layer of water in a pan to the boil. The water must not touch the bottom of the steamer basket.
2. Set the vegetables up for steaming
   Place the steamer basket with the vegetables over the boiling water and put a lid on the pan.
3. Steam the vegetables until cooked
   Steam the vegetables for 4–6 minutes, depending on the type: leafy greens (pak choi, chard) are usually done in 3–5 minutes; broccoli and Chinese cauliflower often need 5–7 minutes. The vegetables are ready when you can easily pierce them with the tip of a knife and the colour remains bright, with a slight bite.
4. Heat the oil
   While the vegetables are steaming, heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat until it is hot, but not smoking.
5. Let the garlic infuse in the oil
   Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the garlic slices. Let the garlic infuse briefly in the hot oil until it clearly starts to smell fragrant, without the slices colouring. If needed, gently swirl the saucepan now and then so all slices make contact with the oil.
6. Finish the dish
   Place the steamed vegetables on a serving dish and lightly sprinkle with salt to taste. Spoon the warm garlic oil with the garlic slices evenly over the vegetables.
7. Serve the vegetables
   Serve the steamed vegetables immediately, while they are still hot and brightly coloured. In Yunnan, this dish is often eaten as a light vegetable dish with rice and combined with other simple vegetable dishes.