Sides
Dry-Fried Green Beans
Ingredients
- - 400 g (14 oz) green beans, trimmed
- - 80 g (3 oz) minced pork
- - 2 tbsp preserved mustard greens (or preserved radish), chopped
- - 3 cloves garlic, minced
- - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- - 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- - 1/2 tsp sugar
- - 1/4 tsp salt
- - 4 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat and fry the green beans for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until wrinkled, blistered and slightly charred in spots. Remove and drain.
- Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the oil, then stir-fry the minced pork until browned and crumbly.
- Add the garlic, ginger and preserved mustard greens, and stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Return the beans to the wok, add the soy sauce, sugar and salt, and toss well for 1-2 minutes to combine before serving.
Introduction: This Sichuan side dish blisters green beans in hot oil until wrinkled and slightly charred, then tosses them with minced pork and preserved vegetables for a deeply savoury, textured accompaniment popular alongside rice-based mains.
Cultural Background: This Sichuan side dish blisters green beans in hot oil until wrinkled and slightly charred, then tosses them with minced pork and preserved vegetables for a deeply savoury, textured accompaniment popular alongside rice-based mains.
Tips: Frying the beans until genuinely wrinkled is key to the dish's texture; don't rush this step. Keep the pork mixture moving constantly so it turns crumbly rather than clumping.
Variations: Omit the pork for a vegetarian version, adding extra preserved vegetable for savouriness. Add a few dried chillies for extra heat.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Reheat in a hot wok or pan to help restore some of the beans' texture.
Nutrition: Approx. 160 kcal, 6g protein, 12g fat, 8g carbohydrate per serving.
FAQs
Q: Why fry the beans for so long?
A: Extended frying blisters and wrinkles the skin, concentrating flavour and giving the beans a distinctive chewy-crisp texture central to the dish.
Q: Can this be made without deep-frying?
A: A generous amount of oil in a hot wok, as described, achieves a similar effect without a separate deep-fry step.