Chinese Broccoli With Oyster Sauce

Fresh crunchy Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) are first blanched and then smothered in a delicious thick oyster sauce gravy to create this yummy and quick Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce dish!

What is Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)?

If you’ve ever been to a Chinese restaurant before then you’ve probably seen some people chomping down on some Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) and making a loud crunchy sound as they devoured the long stems from the Chinese vegetables, prompting you to order one plate for yourself as well.

Chinese broccoli also known as Gai Lan(芥蘭 in Cantonese) is a very popular vegetable commonly seen in Chinese cuisine, especially in Cantonese cooking. Gai Lan is a leafy green vegetable with thick long stems that sort of resembles broccoli hence the name Chinese broccoli.

Typically you’ll see Gai Lan being steamed, blanched, or stir-fried in a lot of Chinese dishes. Two of the most famous Chinese dishes that utilize Gai Lan as the main ingredient are Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce and Chinese broccoli stir-fry with ginger and garlic.

If you’ve been to a dim sum restaurant before then you might have seen them selling Gai Lan with oyster sauce before as the employees push the dim sum carts around the restaurant yelling out Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce (蠔油 芥 籣 in Cantonese), or maybe perhaps you’ve been to a wonton noodle restaurant before where they sell it as a side dish.

Regardless of where you saw it, today I’m going to be sharing with you my chinese broccoli in oyster sauce recipe.

The Gai Lan or Chinese broccoli is first blanched and then smothered in a rich and thick sweet and savory gravy sauce containing crunchy garlic bits.

This authentic Gai Lan with oyster sauce recipe is super simple and quick to make and only requires a few simple ingredients.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

Ingredients

• 1 lb of Gai lan tips (baby Gai Lan) or regular Gai lan (454 g)
• 3-4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of Cooking oil (for blanching)
• 1 teaspoon of table salt (for blanching)

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon of Oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon of Light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of White sugar
• 1½ teaspoon of Cornstarch (for cornstarch slurry)
• 1½ teaspoon of water (for cornstarch slurry)
• ½ cup of water (125ml)

Ingredient Notes

Gai Lan: I recommend using Gai Lan tips, also known as baby Gai Lan as the stems are much shorter and thinner compared to regular Gai Lan. This means it will cook quicker and you will not need to worry about it being undercooked and overly hard and crunchy when eating it. It also tends to be not as tough compared to regular Gai Lan. However, if you are unable to find baby Gai Lan then regular Gai Lan is perfectly fine. You will need to cook the regular Gai Lan for slightly longer to get a similar soft texture as baby Gai Lan.

How to Select Gai Lan

When selecting Gai Lan or baby Gai Lan, first observe the ends of the stems. You want to look for ones where the bottom of the stems are green and not turning white. White indicates that it’s old and it’s starting to dry out. Also, feel out the stems and see if they are still crisp and firm. You want to avoid overly soft stems. Next, observe the leaves and look for nice dark green leaves that don’t have any brown spots or blemishes on them. Lastly, look to see if you see any flower buds that have fully bloomed and opened up, this indicates that it’s too old and mature. Now some Asian grocery stores already pre-wrap and package their vegetables so you may or may not be able to select the Gai Lan but if you are able to then I recommend spending some time selecting your Gai Lan.

How to Make Chinese Broccoli With Oyster Sauce

Preparing the Gai Lan:

1. Wash and rinse the Gai Lan under cold running water until it’s clean.

2. Trim off a tiny portion of the ends of the stalk about 1/2 inch thick if the grocery store hasn’t done it for you. Some grocery stores automatically trim it off for you like mine does.

3. Next heat up a large pot of water.
4. Once the water boils, add your cooking oil + table salt to the water and give it a quick mix.
5. Now add your washed Gai Lan to the pot of boiling water. Make sure to press down onto the Gai Lan in the pot of water with some chopsticks or a spatula to ensure that it is submerged in the hot water otherwise some parts of the Gai Lan may still be raw.

6. Blanch the Gai Lan for around 2-3 minutes until you reach your desired tenderness. If you’re using regular Gai Lan instead of baby Gai Lan then add an extra minute to the blanching time as the stems are thicker and tougher.
7. Now drain out the water and then immediately run cold running water under the Gai Lan to stop the cooking process.
8. Place the Gai Lan under a strainer to let it dry or use a salad spinner and set it aside.

Making the sauce:

9. In a small bowl, add in your oyster sauce, white sugar, light soy sauce, and 1/2 cup of water, and mix everything well together.

10. Mince 3-4 cloves of garlic and set it aside.
11. Heat up a wok on medium-low heat and once the wok is hot (i.e. steam coming out) add your cooking oil to the wok.
12. Once the oil is hot, add your minced garlic to the wok.
13. Stir-fry the garlic for roughly 1 minute until it turns golden yellow and crispy and then immediately add the sauce to the wok.

14. Mix everything well together and then turn up the heat to medium-high.
15. Prepare a cornstarch slurry by combining the cornstarch with the water and mixing it together until it turns into liquid form.
16. Once the sauce starts to bubble, stir the sauce in a circular motion and then slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the wok while stirring the sauce.
17. Mix everything well together and once the sauce thickens, turn off the stove and transfer the sauce over to a bowl.

18. Once the Chinese broccoli has dried (make sure there’s no excess water on the leaves!), transfer them onto a plate.

19. Pour the sauce on top of the Chinese broccoli and serve!

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

• Not letting the Gai Lan fully dry before adding in the sauce leading to a bland watery sauce. If the Gai Lan is still wet when you add in the sauce, the excess water will get mixed in the sauce making it bland.

Storage Tips

The dish can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Side Dishes:

Typically this dish is eaten with cooked white rice. Other side dishes that go well with Gai Lan include Chinese stuffed tofu and Chinese green beans with minced pork.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.S)

Where to Buy Chinese Broccoli?

Gai Lan and Gai Lan tips are readily available at all Asian grocery stores. I have even started to see some Western grocery stores stock them nowadays too!

Do I Need to Cook Chinese Broccoli Before Eating It?

Yes, Chinese broccoli needs to be cooked before eating. We don’t typically eat Gai Lan raw. Gai Lan is either blanched first before being eaten or stir-fired to cook it.

How Do I Make This Dish Vegetarian/Vegan?

Just substitute the oyster sauce with vegetarian oyster sauce and you got yourself a vegetarian dish!

How Do I Remove the Bitterness From Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)?

The easiest way is to first blanch the Gai Lan before eating it. There will still be a tiny bit of bitterness, though, as that’s a hallmark of the vegetable however, it will be very subtle compared to not blanching it.

What Does Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) Taste Like?

Gai lan has a crunchy texture similar to that of broccoli with a slight bitterness to it, assuming you’re cooking it properly. Its crunchiness is what makes it addictive, and the bitterness is barely noticeable once you add any sauce on top of the Gai Lan which tends to mask it out.

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