Sichuan style Caulini

The Caulini is cooked in a numbing spicy sauce that’s super rich and delicious. This recipe is vegan, but can certainly be added too with chicken or pork if you wish.

Ingredients

1 packet Caulini
2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
5 dried chili peppers
2 shallots , sliced
4 cloves garlic , minced
1 tablespoon ginger , minced
2 tablespoons Doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste), or 1 tablespoon for a less spicy and less salty dish
1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn

Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

STEP 1
Cut the Caulini into bite-sized florets. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

STEP 2
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the dried chili peppers, shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance. Add the Doubanjiang and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Cook and stir to roast the doubanjiang, for 1 minute or so, or until the aromatics are evenly coated. If the doubanjiang looks dry and starts to burn, pour in a spoonful of Shaoxing wine (or water and stir to bring down the pan temperature.

STEP 3
Add the Caulini. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the sauce. Stir again to mix well. Cover the pan. Let steam until the Caulini turns tender, checking every 2 to 3 minutes, stirring a few times when you check it. Add a bit of water or veggie broth if the pan gets too dry.

STEP 4
Uncover. If there’s still a lot of liquid in the pan, you can turn up the heat, cook and stir a few more times to let the liquid evaporate. Transfer everything to a plate.
Serve hot as a side or main dish over steamed rice.

 

Recipe by Unknown