This restaurant style Szechuan green beans is a perfect combination of protein and vegetables, with savory and slightly spicy taste.
There is really a long list of my favorite Szechuan dishes including Mapo tofu, Dan Dan Noodles, month watering chicken, Chongqing Chicken, Szechuan fish etc. Sichuan dry fried green beans (干煸豆角) is very popular in Chinese restaurants. However, many of my friends complains that it is difficult to make a successful one since they either over fried the green beans to burn or the green beans are not fried enough. Dry frying also known as “干煸” is a cooking method we commonly use in different Chinese cuisines. Comparing the sautéed recipes, more oil is needed in the pan but less oil is needed comparing with deep frying. They are still other famous dishes such as Szechuan Dry-fried beef shreds (干煸牛肉丝), dry fried cauliflower or dry fried cabbage. Dry frying usually takes longer time but the ingredient can absorb the flavors and aromas in the most degree because the water content is removed mostly.
Special Ingredients –Ya cai
Traditional dry fried green beans calls for a very small amount of Ya-Cai.
Ya-cai(芽菜) is one of the three most important and famous preserved vegetables in Sichuan cuisine. As a side ingredient, it can increase some long lasting aroma for dishes. One of the most popular Sichuan dish using Ya Cai is Dan Dan Noodles. If you don’t have it on hand, it is ok to skip this ingredient and simply fry green beans with pork.
Many restaurants refer to use deep-frying instead of dry frying slowly with a pan because deep-frying can save lots of time. I get some basic tips for pan frying methond.
- Add the green beans in without oil. Fry for a while until the water on surface is removed.
- Then add oil and continue drying until the green beans becomes wrinkled.
Instructions.
Cap the fresh green beans; Wash and drain. Then get a pan or wok. Place green beans in and fry for 2-3 minutes until the water on the surface is dried mostly. Then add around 2 tablespoons of oil in pan and continue cooking until the green beans becomes wrinkled. This process may take around 10 to 12 minutes. Be patience. Turn the beans from time to time to avoid partially overcooked. Then transfer the green beans out.
Keep the oil and fry minced pork until crispy and browned. Add a very small pinch of salt and drizzle around 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce along with the deges.
Place garlic, ginger and scallion white, Yacai, dried chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorn. Fry until aromatic.
Return green beans, add salt, sugar and light soy sauce. Mix well and sever hot!
Other Chinese green bean recipes
Sichuan Dry fried green beans
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh green beans ends removed and cut into 10 cm sections
- 2 tbsp. cooking oil
- 1/2 cup minced pork
- 1/3 cup Szechuan Ya Cai ,skip it if this is unavailable
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tbsp. minced ginger
- 1 tbsp. scallion white
- 6 dried chili peppers , cut into halves
- 1/4 tsp. Sichuan peppercorn
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1.5 tbsp. light soy sauce
Instructions
- Cap the fresh green beans; Wash and drain.
- Then get a pan or wok. Place green beans in and fry for 2-3 minutes until the water on the surface is dried mostly. Then add around 2 tablespoons of oil in pan and continue cooking until the green beans becomes wrinkled. This process may take around 10 to 12 minutes. Be patience. Turn the beans avoid partially overcooked. Then transfer the green beans out.
- Keep the oil and fry minced pork until crispy and browned. Add a very small pinch of salt and drizzle around 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce along with the edges of the pan.
- Place garlic, ginger and scallion white, Ya Cai, dried chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorn. Fry until aromatic.
- Return green beans, add salt, sugar and light soy sauce. Mix well and sever hot!
Nutrition
Finally found sui mi ya cai and made this recipe!
Absolutely delicious. Better than what we buy in Melbourne CBD sichuan restaurants.
Thank yo Train for your lovely feedback!! And glad to know you can find ya cai finally.
Is it whole peppercorns or ground? Thank you.
The last step of dry fried green beans says add sugar….but no sugar is listed in the ingredients
Thanks Suzanne for the correctness. I already updated the recipe.
Just cooked your version of this tonight… omg!! sooo much flavour. This will be a regular from now, thank you Elaine ?
Love to hear that, Stuart! You are so sweet. Happy cooking!