Key Takeaways
- Quick family meal – ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish
- Balanced nutrition – packed with iron, protein, and vitamins A and C
- Beginner-friendly – simple techniques with common Asian ingredients
- Customizable – easily adapt for gluten-free, vegetarian, or spicy preferences
The Easiest Stir Fried Gai Lan With Fish Cake Lap Recipe
Ever tried to recreate that perfect Chinese restaurant gai lan at home but ended up with tough, bitter greens? You’re not alone.
Gai lan (Chinese broccoli) can be tricky. Cook it too little, and it’s tough. Cook it too much, and it’s mushy.
This Stir Fried Gai Lan With Fish Cake Lap recipe solves that problem with a quick blanching method followed by a speedy stir-fry. The addition of fish cake (similar to the ones in my homemade fish cakes recipe adds protein and authentic flavor without extra work.
Nutrition Information (Per Serving)
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 280 | – |
| Protein | 18g | 36% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Fat | 17g | 22% |
| Fiber | 5g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 3500 IU | 70% |
| Vitamin C | 72mg | 80% |
| Iron | 3.5mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 650mg | 28% |
What You’ll Need
Ingredients (Serves 4)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gai lan (Chinese broccoli) | 2 pounds | Look for bright green stems and leaves |
| Fish cake | 8 ounces | Sliced into thin strips |
| Garlic | 4 cloves | Minced |
| Ginger | 1-inch piece | Grated |
| Oyster sauce | 3 tablespoons | Provides savory depth |
| Light soy sauce | 1 tablespoon | For saltiness |
| Sesame oil | 2 teaspoons | For finishing |
| Vegetable oil | 2 tablespoons | For stir-frying |
| Sugar | 1 teaspoon | Balances flavors |
| White pepper | ¼ teaspoon | More subtle than black pepper |
| Cornstarch | 1 teaspoon | Mixed with 2 tablespoons water |
| Water | 2 tablespoons | For sauce |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon | For blanching water |
Kitchen Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Wok or large skillet (12-inch) | For stir-frying |
| Large pot (at least 4-quart) | For blanching gai lan |
| Slotted spoon or spider strainer | For removing gai lan from water |
| Colander | For draining |
| Chef’s knife | For cutting vegetables |
| Cutting board | For preparation |
| Small bowl (2-3) | For sauce mixture and prep |
| Measuring spoons | For accurate measurements |
| Measuring cups | For water and liquids |
| Paper towels | For drying vegetables |
| Wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula | For stir-frying |
| Timer | To avoid overcooking |
Possible Substitutions for Stir Fried Gai Lan With Fish Cake Lap
- Gai lan: Substitute with broccolini, regular broccoli, or bok choy
- Fish cake: Use tofu, shrimp, chicken, or beef instead
- Oyster sauce: Use vegetarian mushroom sauce for a vegetarian option
- Light soy sauce: Tamari for gluten-free option
- Vegetable oil: Any neutral cooking oil works
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Preparation Phase
- Gather all ingredients
- Take out all ingredients and place them on your counter
- Check that you have all items listed in the ingredients table
- Measure all ingredients and place in separate small bowls or plates
- This “mise en place” (everything in place) approach will make cooking much smoother
- Prep the gai lan
- Fill a large bowl with cold water
- Submerge the gai lan completely and swish gently to remove dirt
- Lift out the gai lan (don’t pour the water out with the vegetables, as dirt will settle at the bottom)
- Repeat 2-3 times until water runs clear
- Place gai lan on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels
- Using a cutting board and sharp knife, trim off about ½ inch from the bottom of each stem
- Look at the stem thickness – any stems thicker than ½ inch should be split lengthwise
- To split stems: hold the knife parallel to the cutting board and slice through the center of the stem
- Now cut all gai lan into 3-inch pieces, keeping leaves and stems in separate piles
- Beginner tip: The stems take longer to cook than the leaves, which is why we separate them
- Prep the fish cake
- Remove fish cake from packaging and pat dry with paper towels
- Place fish cake on cutting board
- Using a sharp knife, slice the fish cake into thin strips about 2 inches long and ¼ inch thick (about the size of your little finger)
- Transfer sliced fish cake to a plate and let sit at room temperature while you prepare other ingredients
- Beginner tip: Cold fish cake straight from refrigerator won’t cook evenly
- Prepare the aromatics
- For garlic:
- Separate cloves from the bulb
- Place flat side of knife on each clove and press firmly to remove skin
- Finely mince garlic by rocking knife back and forth over cloves until pieces are very small (about 1/16 inch)
- Transfer to a small plate
- For ginger:
- Use a spoon to scrape off skin (spoon works better than a knife)
- Grate ginger using the small holes of a box grater or a microplane
- Measure 1 tablespoon of grated ginger and add to the plate with garlic
- Beginner tip: Keep garlic and ginger on the same plate as they’ll be added to the wok together
- For garlic:
- Prepare the sauce
- Get a small bowl for the sauce mixture
- Measure and add 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- Measure and add 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- Add 1 teaspoon sugar
- Add ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Stir thoroughly with a spoon until sugar dissolves
- In a separate small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water
- Stir until completely smooth with no lumps (this is called a “slurry”)
- Beginner tip: The cornstarch slurry should be made right before cooking to prevent settling
Cooking Your Stir Fried Gai Lan With Fish Cake Lap
- Blanch the gai lan
- Fill a large pot with water (at least halfway)
- Place pot on stove and turn heat to high
- Cover pot to help water boil faster
- Once water comes to a rolling boil (large bubbles breaking the surface rapidly), add 1 teaspoon salt
- Gently add gai lan stems to the water first (be careful of splashing)
- Set a timer for 1 minute
- After 1 minute, add leaves to the pot
- Set timer for 30 seconds more
- While waiting, prepare a colander in the sink
- Warning: Do not walk away during this step! Timing is critical
- The gai lan should turn bright green but still be crisp – this is called “crisp-tender”
- When timer beeps, immediately turn off heat
- Carefully pour everything into the colander to drain
- Run cold water over the gai lan for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process (called “shocking”)
- Gently shake colander to remove excess water
- Spread gai lan on paper towels and pat dry
- Beginner tip: Proper blanching preserves color, texture, and nutrients
- Heat the wok or skillet
- Place wok or large skillet on stove
- Turn heat to high
- Let the pan heat up for 1-2 minutes
- Test if pan is hot enough by sprinkling a few drops of water – they should sizzle and evaporate immediately
- Beginner tip: A properly heated wok is crucial for stir-frying; it should be hot enough that you can feel the heat radiating up when you hold your hand 6 inches above it
- Stir-fry the aromatics
- Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to hot wok
- Tilt and swirl pan to coat bottom and sides with oil
- When oil shimmers (after about 10 seconds), add garlic and ginger
- Immediately begin stirring with wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula
- Keep everything moving constantly for 15 seconds until fragrant
- Caution: Watch carefully and keep stirring – garlic burns quickly and will become bitter
- Beginner tip: If aromatics start to brown too quickly, temporarily lift wok off heat while continuing to stir
- Add fish cake
- Add fish cake strips to the wok, spreading them out
- Stir-fry for 1 minute, keeping everything moving
- You’ll notice the edges start to curl slightly and become a bit crispy
- The fish cake will change from pale to a more golden color
- Beginner tip: Fish cake is already cooked, so we’re just heating it and adding some texture
- Add gai lan and sauce
- Add blanched gai lan to the wok
- Use tongs to distribute evenly
- Immediately pour the oyster sauce mixture over everything
- Using your wooden spoon or spatula, toss and stir everything together
- Make sure to lift from the bottom of the wok to coat all vegetables
- Continue stir-frying for 1 minute
- You should see the sauce bubbling gently
- Beginner tip: Use a folding motion rather than stirring to prevent breaking the gai lan
- Thicken the sauce
- Stir the cornstarch slurry again (it settles quickly)
- Pour the slurry around the sides of the wok, not directly on the vegetables
- Immediately stir everything together
- You’ll notice the sauce becoming glossy and thicker within 30 seconds
- Continue stirring until sauce evenly coats the vegetables and fish cake
- Beginner tip: Cornstarch needs heat to activate its thickening properties, which is why we add it at the end
- Finish the dish
- Turn off the heat
- Drizzle 2 teaspoons sesame oil over everything
- Give a final gentle toss to combine
- Immediately transfer to a serving plate (the residual heat in the wok will continue cooking the food)
- Arrange any pieces that fell out back onto the plate
- Beginner tip: Sesame oil is added at the end for flavor, as cooking it too long destroys its aroma
Troubleshooting
Common Issues and Solutions
- Bitter gai lan:
- Cause: Not blanched properly or using older gai lan
- Solution: Make sure to blanch properly. If still bitter, add ½ teaspoon more sugar to the sauce
- Tough stems:
- Cause: Insufficient cooking or not splitting thick stems
- Solution: Split thicker stems lengthwise before cooking and blanch for 30 seconds longer
- Watery sauce:
- Cause: Gai lan not drained properly or cornstarch slurry too thin
- Solution: Make sure gai lan is well-drained and patted dry before stir-frying; add another ½ teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon water if needed
- Burnt garlic:
- Cause: Pan too hot or garlic pieces too small
- Solution: Lower heat or add garlic after other ingredients; try cutting garlic slightly larger
- Fish cake too rubbery:
- Cause: Overcooked
- Solution: Don’t stir-fry it for more than 1 minute; it just needs to warm through
- Bland flavor:
- Cause: Not enough seasoning or sauce not reduced properly
- Solution: Add an extra ½ tablespoon of oyster sauce and a pinch more white pepper
Variations & Substitutions
Make It Spicy
- Add 1-2 dried red chilies (seeds removed and broken in half) with the garlic and ginger
- Or add 1 teaspoon of chili oil at the end with the sesame oil
- For milder heat, add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Vegetarian Version
- Replace fish cake with 8 ounces of firm tofu, cut into strips and patted very dry
- Replace oyster sauce with vegetarian mushroom sauce (same amount)
- Add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast for extra umami flavor
Gluten-Free Option
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce (same amount)
- Check that your oyster sauce is gluten-free (some brands contain wheat)
- Ensure your fish cake is gluten-free (read labels carefully)
Protein Upgrades
- Chicken: Slice 8 ounces of boneless chicken breast into thin strips, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes before adding gai lan
- Beef: Slice 8 ounces of flank steak thinly against the grain, stir-fry for 1-2 minutes before adding gai lan
- Shrimp: Use 8 ounces of peeled and deveined shrimp, stir-fry for 1-2 minutes before adding gai lan
Storage & Reheating
Storage
- Refrigerator:
- Let cool completely before storing
- Place in an airtight container
- Refrigerate for up to 2 days
- Not recommended to store longer as vegetables will lose texture
- Freezing:
- Not recommended for this dish
- Vegetables will become mushy when thawed
- Sauce may separate
Reheating
- Stovetop (Recommended Method):
- Heat a wok or skillet over medium heat
- Add 1 tablespoon of water
- Add leftover stir-fry
- Gently toss until heated through (about 2-3 minutes)
- If sauce seems dry, add 1-2 teaspoons of water
- Microwave:
- Place in a microwave-safe container
- Cover loosely with a microwave-safe lid or damp paper towel
- Heat on 70% power for 1 minute
- Stir gently
- Heat an additional 30-60 seconds until warmed through
- Oven:
- Not recommended as it will overcook the vegetables
- If necessary, preheat to 300°F, cover with foil, and heat for 5-7 minutes
Safety Notes & Tips
Food Safety
- Make sure fish cake is properly refrigerated before use
- Don’t leave the cooked dish at room temperature for more than 2 hours
- Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw fish cake
- Use separate cutting boards for vegetables and fish cake if possible
Cooking Tips
- Blanching trick: Adding a pinch of baking soda to blanching water keeps gai lan vibrant green
- Wok breathing room: Don’t overcrowd the wok – cook in batches if necessary, especially if doubling the recipe
- Heat management: A properly hot wok creates wok hei (breath of the wok), that special smoky flavor found in restaurant dishes
- Testing doneness: Gai lan stems should be tender enough to pierce with a fork but still have some resistance
- Oil selection: Peanut oil or rice bran oil works best for high-heat stir-frying if available
Serving Your Stir Fried Gai Lan With Fish Cake Lap
Serve this vibrant stir-fried gai lan with steamed white rice for a complete meal. For a healthier option, brown rice or cauliflower rice works well too.
A small side of chili oil or chili crisp can add heat for those who enjoy spice. Place it on the table so everyone can add to taste.
This dish pairs wonderfully with simple soups like my Corn and Fish Maw Soup for a more complete Chinese meal experience.
For a full family-style Chinese dinner, serve alongside other quick dishes like mapo tofu or sweet and sour pork.
Beginner plating tip: Arrange the Stir Fried Gai Lan With Fish Cake Lap in a neat pile with most stems pointing in the same direction, then scatter the fish cake pieces attractively on top for a restaurant-style presentation.
