Gai lan from the garden with soy, garlic and chili

It took me a while to identify the vegetable above. Was it some sort of broccoli? The fact that I didn't label any of my vegetables may seem pretty silly, but it's also been quite exciting. Gai lan is a Chinese green, similar in taste to broccoli, but with long stalks more like asparagus. It works well with the green bean treatment, that is a spicy and salty dressing of soy, sesame, chili and garlic.

Recipe : Gai lan

5 or 6 stalks of gai lan including the leaves and flowers, stalks cut into 1 inch lengths

1 tbsp oil 

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp chili sauce

1 clove garlic, chopped small

(Recipe continues below images)

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil over high heat and add the gai lan. Boil for about 5 - 7 minutes until soft. Drain well. 

Heat the 2 oils in a frying pan over medium heat and add the gai lan. Fry, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the other ingredients and stir around for a minute or two. Serve. You can eat this on it's own for a snack or light lunch or use it to accompany something more substantial, such as a piece of fish or chicken.