Pages

Sunday 20 March 2011

stir-fried snow pea sprouts with tofu

a box of snow pea sprouts (dou miao in mandarin), also known as snow pea shoots.

As a child, I wasn't very keen on snow pea sprouts. I just found them a bit... blah. Surprisingly, though, I've grown rather fond of them in recent years, and for the past several weeks I've actually found myself reminiscing about my mum's stir-fried snow pea sprouts. Funny that!

So a few days ago, I bought snow pea sprouts for the very first time in my life, and attempted to make something similar to what I used to get at home. While my tofu didn't turn out quite as delightfully golden and crispy as my mum's (will have to remember to enquire about that the next time we have a chat), I am happy with the results. The flavours were simple, familiar... gratifying. And, unlike my younger self, I had no problem devouring it all in one go.

stir-fried snow pea sprouts with pan-fried tofu for one

100g snow pea sprouts (snip them in half if the stems are long)
100g firm tofu, sliced into thin squares or rectangles
1 clove garlic, minced
oil, for frying
pinch of salt
light soy sauce and sesame oil, to taste

- In a frying pan, heat up a little oil and fry the tofu on both sides till golden brown. You may omit the oil if using a non-stick pan. I did mine for 2 - 3 minutes on one side, then 1 - 2 minutes on the other side. Place tofu in a bowl and sprinkle through a pinch of salt.
- Heat up a little more oil in the frying pan and briefly fry garlic until golden, then add the snow pea sprouts and stir-fry until they are just tender. This should only take several seconds.
- Drizzle snow pea sprouts with light soy sauce and sesame oil and toss lightly. Chuck in the tofu, serve with rice, and enjoy!

How do you like snow pea sprouts? Do you change your mind about certain foods as you grow older?

stir-fried snow pea sprouts with pan-fried tofu

20 comments:

  1. I love this dish! It just reminds me of home! I agree that one's taste changes as they grow older but I've always loved this!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is "baby" dou miao, then there is also "Emperor" dou miao (tend to be more fibrous, bigger leaves and stems). I enjoy both. I heard you need a good wok-hei to cook these well, and drizzles of cooking wine may help! :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mmm, this is the sort of thing I have ALWAYS loved!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Quite a few fans of snow pea sprouts! Yay!
    Thanks for the tips, tigerfish. :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm a fan as well, but they are not easy to come by here. As a child I ate almost anything, like now (I guess it comes from growing with a sister who ate nothing), but I did not like boiled eggs and pinenuts, of all things. I changed my mind on these ones.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh such simplicity, at it's best I must add :) Lovely dish that reminds me of home...

    ReplyDelete
  7. My memories of snow pea sprouts are of ungainly garnishes at restaurants that were really hard to eat with a knife and fork ;) Have never had them stir-fried! Sounds fantastic :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. This looks deliciously fresh and light! I love my snow pea sprouts in salads and soups :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. lacaffettierarosa, I ate just about anything too - but eagerly or reluctantly, that is the question! :p

    Min, I agree. :D

    Hannah, I think they're easier to eat once they're cooked and slightly softened. So maybe you can give that a go!

    Maria, I saw the soup you made the other day! It looked lovely. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. It was a dish of snow pea shoots in crab sauce that finally made me see their point. I usually feel like a ruminant animal chewing the cud trying to munch through them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Simple, healthy and tasty.. I LIKE! The Boy loves snow peas, snow peas sprouts, snow pea leaves.. so I've grown quite accustom to eating them! YumM!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love this simple stir-fry. Gave me idea what to cook for dinner tonight.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am very 'into' shoots right now (especially broccoli and arugula ones...) but this dish sounds like something I would love. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm a yes for sprouts! Love them - all of them. Snow pea sprouts look so pretty too :D

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow that sounds really interesting! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I don;t think I've ever had snow pea sprouts, but this looks so fresh and lovely! What a greta meal!

    ReplyDelete
  17. This looks so good - healthy and cfresh! I love anything with tofu.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts with Thumbnails