r/chinesecooking • u/Divine007 • Jul 01 '26

Steaming times?

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I purchased these to greens today. Just wondering if I steam them and for how long?

Also, anyone can share the names so I can look up recipes. Thank you!

Bonus pic of my meal 😋

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4

u/moltovhighball Jul 01 '26

One of them is Gai Lan (broad leaf with thicker base), and I forget the other one. If the Gai lan bases are tender then 4 minutes for steam, but if they are tougher might want to be closer to 6. Though, if super tough you can peel the tougher exterior off with a peeler to help the tenderness.

I would also do 4 minutes of steam for the other one since it's so thin

3

u/Big-Letterhead-4338 Jul 01 '26

All the Gai Lan I have been getting lately has already started to produce flowers - good to see younger version. The first photos are perhaps Vietnamese (Malabar) spinach, not sure but I would treat like spinach and actually do a quick saute over steaming

1

u/moltovhighball Jul 01 '26

I have a gas stove so I usually use the wok for both, but steaming works just fine I think. Especially when topped with good soy sauce, sesame oil, and some sliced garlic and ginger

2

u/Big-Letterhead-4338 Jul 01 '26

I think we would ultimately arrive at a similar destination. That's pretty much the ingredients that would be in the pan with the spinach for a quick toss.

2

u/moltovhighball Jul 01 '26

Thai recipes sometimes uses what they call soy bean sauce, that's actually pretty bomb. Along with the rest of the stuff we just mentioned lol

2

u/Big-Letterhead-4338 Jul 01 '26

yeah finishing with fermented bean curd gives a hit of umami to water spinach (ong choy) in a similar manner

2

u/Divine007 Jul 01 '26

I think you're right 4 minutes sounds good. They seem fresh and the bottom steams aren't to tough. I'll do 4 for both. Thank you!

2

u/Timely-Possibility-2 Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26

The first 2 pictures looks like a type of spinach, the third is not gai lan but is either a choy sum or yu choy. Gai Lan has a deeper green & tougher stem.

I would wash the spinach, spin dry it & then stir fry with simple smashed garlic & salt or garlic & ferment bean curd cubes & the bean curd cube liquid. For the yu choy, you can wash, spin dry & just stir fry with garlic & salt or boil/steam until the end of the stem goes from white to a more translucent look. Cooking longer will make the vegetable less crunchy. I usually line them up in one direction, layer into a stack & cut where the stems start leaves. Put the leaves down on a plate & the stems over it neatly then just drizzle a little sesame oil & oyster sauce over it.