The Thai-Style Kailan with Oyster Sauce recipe holds a special place in my heart as one of my favorite dishes to cook at home. It boasts a delightful blend of flavors that is both delicious and nutritious.
The pairing of vibrant green vegetables with the rich oyster sauce, topped with crispy fried garlic, goes extremely well together and what makes this recipe even more appealing is its simplicity and quick preparation, taking less than 15 minutes to have it ready.
Kailan, also known as Chinese broccoli, is a dark, leafy green vegetable, and that's why it's such a healthy choice. Its flavor is reminiscent of broccoli, but it's essential to prepare it correctly to avoid any chewiness or slight bitterness.
I recommend opting for the baby Kailan variety if available. However, if you can't find the baby ones, that's perfectly fine. Dealing with Kailan is straightforward. You can simply remove the thicker, older, and less fresh leaves and peel the stems to reveal the tender, sweet, and delicate shoots, which are excellent for stir-frying and steaming.
I've coined this recipe "Thai-Style Kailan with Oyster Sauce" because it combines elements of both Thai and Chinese culinary traditions in the way it's being prepared.
In Thai restaurants, Kailan is typically chopped into bite-sized pieces and stir-fried with garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and fish sauce. Meanwhile, in Chinese restaurants, it's often steamed with long Kailan stems and oyster sauce drizzled on top.
So, in this Thai-style Kailan recipe, I've blended these cooking techniques with a Thai-inspired sauce to create a unique and delightful fusion of flavors and textures.
This unique Kailan dish makes for the perfect accompaniment to Thai Jasmine rice or a comforting bowl of rice porridge, so if you are looking for a healthy dish to have for lunch/dinner, be sure to give this recipe a go. Enjoy!
To make this recipe, you are going to need:
- 300 g. Kailan/Chinese Broccoli
- 3 tablespoon Oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Tapioca flour/All purpose flour
- 1 handful garlic
- 10 cubes of ice to rinse the cooked kailan
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make Thai-Style Kailan with Oyster Sauce Recipe
1 First, gather all your essential ingredients.
2 To prepare Kai Lan or Chinese broccoli, begin by removing the peel from the stems. Next, snip off the leaves that appear too thick, old, or not fresh. Finally, wash the Kailan thoroughly and allow it to drain.
3 Bring a large pot or pan to a boil with 2 cups of water and wait until the water reaches the boiling point.
4 Place the Kailan in the boiling water and cook it for one minute.
5 Next, flip the Kailan to the other side and continue cooking for an additional two minutes or until the Kailan is thoroughly cooked.
6 While you wait for the Kailan to cook, prepare a large bowl with 6-10 ice cubes and 1 cup of water. This trick will help maintain the fresh, vibrant green and crisp texture of the cooked Kailan.
7 Take the Kailan off the heat and rinse them in ice water while you prepare your oyster sauce mixture.
8 Use a food processor to mince the garlic.
9 In a small pan, fry the garlic. Heat ¼ cup of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and stir continuously until it becomes fragrant and turns slightly golden. Once you achieve this, remove the pan from the heat.
10 Mix the tapioca flour with 3 tablespoons of water and ensure they are well combined.
11 Using the same pan, prepare the mixture of oyster sauce over low heat. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and stir them together until they are well combined.
12 Once the oyster sauce mixture is well combined, slowly pour the tapioca slurry into the sauce and stir it well. Then, remove it from the heat.
13 Take the cooked Kailan from the ice water and transfer it to a serving dish. Then, pour the oyster sauce mixture over the Kailan and garnish with the fried garlic. Serve immediately as a side dish.
Other Thai Recipes You Might Like
Here are some of my favorite Thai that I think you might like. For more Thai cuisine, check out my Thai recipe page.
Thai-Style Kailan with Oyster Sauce Recipe
Let's turn Kailan or Chinese Broccoli into a tasty side dish with a little twist of Thai-style seasoning for lunch/dinner with our easy-to-follow recipe.
Ingredients
- 300 g. Kailan/Chinese Broccoli
- 3 tablespoon Oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Tapioca flour/All purpose flour
- 1 handful garlic
- 10 cubes of ice to rinse the cooked kailan
Directions
- First, gather all your essential ingredients.
- To prepare Kai Lan or Chinese broccoli, begin by removing the peel from the stems. Next, snip off the leaves that appear too thick, old, or not fresh. Finally, wash the Kailan thoroughly and allow it to drain.
- Bring a large pot or pan to a boil with 2 cups of water and wait until the water reaches the boiling point.
- Place the Kailan in the boiling water and cook it for one minute.
- Next, flip the Kailan to the other side and continue cooking for an additional two minutes or until the Kailan is thoroughly cooked.
- While you wait for the Kailan to cook, prepare a large bowl with 6-10 ice cubes and 1 cup of water. This trick will help maintain the fresh, vibrant green and crisp texture of the cooked Kailan.
- Take the Kailan off the heat and rinse them in ice water while you prepare your oyster sauce mixture.
- Use a food processor to mince the garlic.
- In a small pan, fry the garlic. Heat ¼ cup of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and stir continuously until it becomes fragrant and turns slightly golden. Once you achieve this, remove the pan from the heat.
- Mix the tapioca flour with 3 tablespoons of water and ensure they are well combined.
- Using the same pan, prepare the mixture of oyster sauce over low heat. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and stir them together until they are well combined.
- Once the oyster sauce mixture is well combined, slowly pour the tapioca slurry into the sauce and stir it well. Then, remove it from the heat.
- Take the cooked Kailan from the ice water and transfer it to a serving dish. Then, pour the oyster sauce mixture over the Kailan and garnish with the fried garlic. Serve immediately as a side dish.
