Our Taste of Vegetables : Dou Miao (Snow Pea Shoots) & Okra (Lady's Finger)

Apart from Seafood, Vegetables are equally abundant around the island. Going green and healthy diet wise, is no difficult to adapt. Some of my colleagues at work introduced me to a few of the most common and favorite local vegetable dishes. My interest was caught by the popular Dou Miao or Snow Pea Shoots. I had my first taste of this flavorful veggie in Long Beach Seafood Restaurant. It goes very well with a lot of minced garlic. If cooked just right, the crunchy texture of the shoots provides a good mouthfeel. Indeed, it's a delicacy in its own right. I tried to cook it at home and was pleased with the outcome.

Stir-Fried Dou Miao

How to make: Heat 2 tbsps of canola oil in a wok. Stir-fry minced garlic (as generous as you may want) until fragrant. Add in Dou Miao and stir-fry until tender. Season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Another interesting find is Okra (Lady's Finger). Although this is a vegetable that can be easily found anywhere in the world or at least in Asia, the varieties of dishes that can be made out of it is diverse. I am used to having it simply steamed or blanched and dipped into soy-kalamansi sauce. Sometimes, it's also added in vegetable salad paired with sauted shrimp paste. Now, my exposure to Kopitiam & Hawker Center foods introduced me to new ways of cooking it. One of my current choice is the hot & spicy one. This is why I came up with my own version of Chili - Garlic Okra.

How to make: Heat 2 tbsps canola oil in a wok. Saute chopped onion and minced garlic until fragrant. Add in okra (cut in diagonals) and stir-fry until tender. Stir in 1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce. Season with 1 tbsp soy sauce and mix well.

The supermarket shelves are filled with a lot of healthy items and vegetable definitely makes a very fitting choice. It does feel good to veer away from sinful stuffs from time to time.