Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) Stir-fry – Our Family Secret Recipe Revealed!

Chinese broccoli stir-fry is a simple dish commonly prepared by many Cantonese families. My family is no exception. We have been cooking this dish for decades and have developed a way to make it delicious and easy to prepare. In this article, I would like to share our recipe for Chinese broccoli stir-fry with garlic and ginger, which requires only five ingredients, including oil and salt.

Note: Chinese broccoli (芥兰) is also known as gai-lan, kai-lan, or Chinese kale in English.

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Why does this recipe work?

This Chinese broccoli stir-fry recipe is both simple and delicious for two main reasons. 

1. First, ginger and garlic create the perfect seasoning for most Chinese leafy vegetables. I usually use Chinese broccoli, but occasionally, I use Choi Sum, Bok Choy, or even regular broccoli.
2. The second reason is that cutting the vegetables into small pieces—about one centimeter long—greatly enhances their flavor. This method allows for quick stir-frying until they are crisp-tender and enables them to absorb the flavors of ginger and garlic more efficiently.

Ingredients required for the leafy vegetable stir fry

• Leafy Vegetables: For this recipe, I use baby Gai Lan, a leafy vegetable popular in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. It is a small version of Chinese broccoli, which becomes crisp and tender when cooked and has a sweet yet slightly bitter flavor. You should be able to purchase it at your favorite Asian grocery store. If you can’t find baby Gai Lan, you can substitute it with Choy Sum, Bok Choy, broccoli, or broccolini.
• Ginger and Garlic: I prefer using plenty of garlic in this recipe. Finely chopping the garlic can help release its flavor and allow it to be absorbed by the small cubes of vegetables. Similarly, chop the ginger finely. I recommend using young ginger instead of older ginger, as it is juicier and has less fiber, making it ideal for stir-frying. You can mash the young ginger using the spine of a cleaver or your knife until it forms a paste and does not need any other kitchen utensils.

Steps to stir fry the leafy vegetables with garlic and ginger

1. Wash the Gai Lan thoroughly with water and cut it into small sections, about half a centimeter, for both the stalks and the leafy parts.

2. Finely chop the garlic and ginger.

3. Heat oil in a pan or large skillet over medium heat to sauté the chopped garlic and ginger. Halfway through, add the required amount of salt.

4. Once the garlic and ginger become aromatic, add the Gai Lan to the ginger and garlic sauce. Continue stir-frying for about a minute over medium-high heat until the vegetables wilt.

5. Next, add a small amount of water, about two tablespoons, to the vegetables and cover the pan with a lid. This will help the vegetables cook through until they are crisp-tender.

6. Remove the lid and taste the dish to decide whether to adjust the saltiness. Continue to sauté for another half minute, then serve.

Can I use regular broccoli instead of Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli)?

I also cooked with regular broccoli, as shown in the video below the recipe. To prepare the broccoli, cut the thick stems into half-centimeter cubes. Separate the broccoli florets into small pieces approximately 1 centimeter in size. Avoid cutting them smaller than 1 centimeter, as this may cause the florets to break apart, which is not recommended. Other than that, the preparation method is the same as for Gai Lan.

Is the Chinese broccoli stir-fry served in the restaurant taste better?

The main difference between this simplified version and the restaurant’s style is its minimalist approach, which highlights the flavor of the leafy vegetable, complemented by the freshness of ginger and garlic. By eliminating most of the flavoring agents, it allows the original flavor of the vegetables to shine. In addition, cutting the vegetables into small sections creates a different mouthfeel and enables them to absorb the flavors of ginger and garlic more intensely.

You may wonder how this recipe compares to the traditional way of serving stir-fried Chinese broccoli in restaurants. The most common method for preparing this dish in the restaurant involves a mixture of oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and ground white pepper, sometimes including Hoisin sauce. This combination is commonly used in Chinese cooking to enhance flavor. I have made it many times before. If you want to try it out, you can find my recipe on our sister food blog, Taste of Asian Food.

Lastly, our family recipe is unlikely to be served in the Chinese restaurant mainly because it is too simple to prepare and would not fetch a high price. Customers may also perceive it as too basic and opt not to order it from a restaurant!

Tips to get the best result for the Chinese broccoli stir-fry

• It’s always better to use young ginger than old ginger because it is juicier. However, if you can’t find young ginger, you can still use older ginger, which tends to be more fibrous. In this case, I recommend squeezing out the juice from the older ginger and using just the juice for cooking.
• The easiest way to peel ginger is to scrape its surface with a metal spoon. If this is your first time trying this, do so. You’ll find it much more efficient than using a vegetable peeler.
• The success of this dish depends on finely chopping the garlic and ginger and sautéing them until they become aromatic before adding the vegetables. The rich flavor comes from the ginger and garlic, not from using high heat. Therefore, you can use a non-stick pan or skillet rather than relying on a wok and high-power stove to generate intense heat.
• You can use any vegetable oil or olive oil for this recipe, as it doesn’t require intense high heat. I wouldn’t worry about the relatively low smoking point of olive oil.

Other vegetarian dishes on this food blog

Here are a few more vegetarian recipes for you since you like this Chinese broccoli stir-fry.

• Easy Green Beans with Mushrooms Stir-fry
• Crispy Baked Eggplant with Parmesan 
• Salt and pepper tofu with air-fryer