Discover the mouth-watering and savory flavors of Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans – a popular and must-try dish in Sichuan cuisine that has taken over menus in restaurants across the United States. Experience the unique taste of this dish that is also known as Szechuan dry-fried green beans or Chinese stir-fried green beans.
However, because the green beans are deep-fried, I always hesitate to order this dish in restaurants.
Since deep-frying corrupts an otherwise healthy ingredient, I’ve been trying to devise a solution to make the recipe healthier and easier to follow. It’s ironic, considering that the Chinese name of the dish (ganbian sijidou) translates to “dry seared.” That’s why I didn’t deep-fry the green beans like most restaurants; instead, I used a dry wok to sear them without adding oil. It turned out wonderfully.
And for the benefit of our vegetarian and vegan readers, the ground pork can be easily left out (you can omit it altogether or replace it with more pickled suimi yacai). That doesn’t change the fact that it’ll be delicious as ever.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of green beans
- 1/2 tsp. of salt
- 2 tbsp. of oil
- 1/4 cup of ground pork
- 2 garlic (smashed and coarsely diced)
- 2 pcs. of dried red hot peppers (de-seeded and diced)
- 2 tbsp. of sui mi ya cai (store bought)
- 1 tsp. of shaoxing wine
- 1 1/2 tsp. of soy sauce
- 1/8 tsp. of sugar
- 1 tsp. of sesame oil
Instructions:
- Green beans and salt should be added to a hot wok until the wok begins to smoke. Sear the green beans for 20 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. The green beans should have a few small scorch marks. Have the remaining ingredients on hand while this is happening.
- Once the beans have reached a tender but still crunchy consistency, remove them from the wok.
- Brown the pork by heating the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Stir for 30 seconds after adding the garlic and chili. Toss in the sui mi ya cai and mix thoroughly. Leave it in the oven for a minute more.
- Cooking wine, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil can be added to the green beans that have been briefly seared. Turn the burner back on high and continue cooking the stir-fry for one more minute. Don’t wait around; serve right away.