Pictorial: Sichuan Style Dry-Fried String Beans

[hzrt8w]

Sichuan Style Dry-Fried String Beans (四川乾煸四季豆)

A few people asked me to do a demonstration of the Dry-Fried String Beans dish, which is a Sichuan specialty. I finally got around to it. There are different recipes for this dish. Some uses dried shrimp, some uses ground pork, some uses both. Here is my version. I used a little bit of ground pork for this dish. You may add some dried shrimp if you like. The taste of the dish was wonderful! I need to make this more often than just stir-frying string beans with Sa Cha sauce.

This dish is very simple to make. You should try it too!

Picture of the finished dish:

Serving Suggestion: 2 to 3

Preparations:

Main ingredients (from top-left, clockwise):

- 1 1/4 lb of string beans

- Ground pork, use only a little bit, about 1/4 lb or less

- Garlic, use 4-5 cloves

- 1 chili pepper (e.g. Jalapeno)

- 1 small package of Sichuan preserved vegetable ("Zha Choy" in Cantonese). This is the feature characteristic of a Sichuan dish.

- (Not shown in picture) 1 shallot

The Sichuan preserved vegetables are sold in different packagings. This package I bought is "ready to eat" without any processing. Otherwise, you may need to soak the preserved vegetable in water for 15 minutes or so to reduce the its saltiness.

To prepare the string beans: trim off the ends and cut into about 3 inches in length. Wash and drain off the water thoroughly.

To marinate the pork: use a small bowl, add 1/2 tsp of light soy sauce, 1/4 tsp of ground white pepper and 1/2 tsp of sesame oil.

Mix well. Leave for 30 minutes before cooking.

Take the Sichuan preserved vegetables out of the package. First cut into shreds, then finely chops. Trim end of chili pepper and cut into thin slices.

Mince 4-5 cloves of garlic. Peel and finely chop 1 shallot.

Cooking Instructions:

To prepare this dish, the string beans are first deep-fried.

I don't have a deep-fryer at home nor do I use a wok. I did that with just a regular frying pan.

Add 6 tblsp (or more) of frying oil, set stove at high temperature. Wait until the oil starts fuming.

Add the string beans.

Fry the string beans until cooked. It takes about 5-6 minutes (or longer) depending on the strength of your stove. The string beans should turn soft and the ends start to turn brown. For this dish, the idea is to "dry fry" the string beans. No need to add water.

Remove from pan and drain off excess oil.

Drain off the frying oil from the pan. Add 2 tblsp of cooking oil. First add the marinated ground pork. (Also add dried shrimp if you cook with dried shrimp.)

Use the spatula to break up the ground pork into very small pieces.

When the ground pork is about browned (it takes 2-3 minutes), add minced garlic, chopped shallots and sliced chili peppers. Also add 2 tsp of chili bean sauce and a pinch of salt (to taste). Dash in 2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine.

Stir all ingredients well.

Return the string beans.

Continue to stir, toss and cook for a minute. Finished. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve immediately.

Picture of the finished dish.

(Note: The quantity of food made in this recipe is about twice the portion shown in this picture.)

[jo-mel]

Looks great, Xiao hzrt! I like the idea of using jalapenos instead of the dried red chilis. I've used dried shrimp sometimes and a little Sichuan pepper sometimes, sometimes with or without pork - but as you said it is the Sichuan vegetable (炸菜 zha cai /zha choy) that is a feature characteristic.

And once again, you have shown that you can do Chinese cooking with just a pan! Not even a deep frying pot!

I was cooking for my husband's secretary and her husband one time. Her husband had a very bad heart and was on a non-fat diet, so this posed a problem. Most of the dishes were OK, but I wanted to have dry/fried green beans. So I boiled the beans, then put them on a broiler pan and lightly sprayed with Pam, then broiled them until they had the blistered look --- then I continued with the dish, but using ground turkey instead of pork. They turned out really good!

This was a time when oils were bad food, so when I had a lo-fat, lo- calorie cooking class, I used the same boil/broil method for the beans. They were a hit!

I've never seen that brand of Sichuan vegetable. Is it a small amount? All I've seen are the cans, the pickles in the crock on the floor or two vegetables in a plastic package -- sometimes whole, and sometimes shredded.

[docsconz]

Thanks for doing this dish Ah Leung. This is one of my all-time favorites. I will have to try to find the Szechuan vegetable. When I do I will make this dish. Jo-mel's alternate method sounds good too.

[hzrt8w]

[...]

I've never seen that brand of Sichuan vegetable. Is it a small amount? All I've seen are the cans, the pickles in the crock on the floor or two vegetables in a plastic package -- sometimes whole, and sometimes shredded.

←

Yes, they distribute the Sichuan preserved vegetable in tiny packages (3.5oz) and make them "ready to eat". Selling at US$0.25 a package. The price is relatively high compared to buying a head of Sichuan vegetable and shred your own. However, I found that most of the time I have plenty of left over after opening a pack for one head of Sichuan vegetable. Besides, they made it "ready to eat" means I don't need to soak them in water before cooking. Time saving! This kind of packaging is perfect for me since I use only a little bit every time. The biggest problem is after I opened it, I couldn't stop snacking on it... he he he...

[hzrt8w]

Thanks for doing this dish Ah Leung. This is one of my all-time favorites. I will have to try to find the Szechuan vegetable. When I do I will make this dish. Jo-mel's alternate method sounds good too.

←

From the postings I read, it seems that you live in the San Francisco Bay Area. If so, there are plenty of Asian grocery stores that carry Sichuan vegetable (such as 99 Ranch). You can find them in the section that lays out preserved vegetables. I found my packages in the refrigerated section.

[jo-mel]

[...]

I've never seen that brand of Sichuan vegetable. Is it a small amount? All I've seen are the cans, the pickles in the crock on the floor or two vegetables in a plastic package -- sometimes whole, and sometimes shredded.

←

Yes, they distribute the Sichuan preserved vegetable in tiny packages (3.5oz) and make them "ready to eat". Selling at US$0.25 a package. The price is relatively high compared to buying a head of Sichuan vegetable and shred your own. However, I found that most of the time I have plenty of left over after opening a pack for one head of Sichuan vegetable. Besides, they made it "ready to eat" means I don't need to soak them in water before cooking. Time saving! This kind of packaging is perfect for me since I use only a little bit every time. The biggest problem is after I opened it, I couldn't stop snacking on it... he he he...

←

Why soak them? I usually just rinse off any clinging paste and some of the outside salt. Sometimes I don't even do that.

When I would show a whole pickle in a class, you would hear the 'eeeeuuuuuuus'!!! But when I'd slice it and give them a sample taste, they liked it, and looked at it with renewed interest --- and respect!

[docsconz]

Thanks for doing this dish Ah Leung. This is one of my all-time favorites. I will have to try to find the Szechuan vegetable. When I do I will make this dish. Jo-mel's alternate method sounds good too.

←

From the postings I read, it seems that you live in the San Francisco Bay Area. If so, there are plenty of Asian grocery stores that carry Sichuan vegetable (such as 99 Ranch). You can find them in the section that lays out preserved vegetables. I found my packages in the refrigerated section.

←

There is a lot to be said for living in the Bay Area, but I live in upstate New York. There is a lot to be said for that as well, but ready access to a wide variety of ethnic foods is unfortunately not one of them. I recently had the pleasure of a very food involved trip out there and have been posting a fair amount about it, which is why you got that impression. I do try to range a bit out of my home turf.

In any case, I have loved this dish since the early 1980's when I was first introduced to it in New York City's Chinatown. I still order it any time I see it on the menu unless I know the restaurant doesn't do a particularly good job with it.

[eje]

Yes, thanks for another useful pictorial!

I have to admit, though, that while I like dry fried green beans, I much prefer dry fried long beans.

-Erik

[Fat Guy]

Amazing coincidence, I was eating at a local Chinese restaurant last night, where the dish is (as it is on many Chinese menus I've seen in New York) called "dried sauteed string beans," and Ellen asked "What does it mean that they're dried?" The question had never occurred to me, but I immediately realized they were probably deep fried -- it just didn't seem likely that they were slow roasted in an oven (though I can see how this would work in a low-fat version). Boy, if all the health nuts who order this dish thinking it's a low-cal, low-fat vegetarian option find out it's deep fried . . . . (!)

[hzrt8w]

I have to admit, though, that while I like dry fried green beans, I much prefer dry fried long beans.

←

Long beans are quite tasty too and I like it just as well. Unfortunately they seem to be not as readily available as the string beans/green beans plus the prices are usally twice higher.

[hzrt8w]

Amazing coincidence, I was eating at a local Chinese restaurant last night, where the dish is (as it is on many Chinese menus I've seen in New York) called "dried sauteed string beans," and Ellen asked "What does it mean that they're dried?"

[...]

←

In Chinese cooking, we don't bake vegetables as far as I know. Heck traditionally we don't really bake food. Only a few exceptions, such as The Beggar's Chicken which is wrapped in lotus leaves and clay and then baked. And perhaps the Cantonese BBQ stuff?

Traditionally, every Chinese family has a wok and a stove (burning wood typically). But practically none would have an oven.

The term "dry" or "dried" came from the original Chinese name 乾 ("gon1" - Cantonese). It is a literal translation. I think it came from that in most Chinese vegetable stir-fries, a little bit of water is added and the vegetable is cooked with the lid on (partly steamed). The string beans in this dish is cooked with plenty of oil and an open top, with no water added.

I suppose if one is concerned about deep-frying, just regular pan-frying or par-boiling methods can be used instead.

Edited April 17, 2006 by hzrt8w (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Amazing coincidence, I was eating at a local Chinese restaurant last night, where the dish is (as it is on many Chinese menus I've seen in New York) called "dried sauteed string beans,"

←

Actually I've seen a variant of this dish in Malaysian restaurants as well. They dry-fry the string beans, and add small dried shrimp as well as ground pork, but then they toss in fermented shrimp paste in addition to the chili/bean paste, and I beleive garlic and shallots as well. I'm pretty sure it also has the preserved vegetable. I think Penang in NYC makes it that way, the NJ location in East Hanover certainly does. I think we order it just about every time we go there.

I wasn't aware this was typically a Sichuan dish, though.

[docsconz]

Amazing coincidence, I was eating at a local Chinese  restaurant last night, where the dish is (as it is on many Chinese menus I've seen in New York) called "dried sauteed string beans," and Ellen asked "What does it mean that they're dried?" The question had never occurred to me, but I immediately realized they were probably deep fried -- it just didn't seem likely that they were slow roasted in an oven (though I can see how this would work in a low-fat version). Boy, if all the health nuts who order this dish thinking it's a low-cal, low-fat vegetarian option find out it's deep fried . . . . (!)

←

I always thought the string beans had literally been dried as in desiccated One learns something new every day.

[jo-mel]

乾煸 gan bian --- Isn't the 'dry' just a matter of not having a saucy dish? That the liquids are cooked down so as to give concentrated flavor?

[Fat Guy]

I always thought the string beans had literally been dried as in desiccated One learns something new every day.

←

I probably assumed that too, without ever really thinking about it, but when I actually focused on the string beans on the plate in front of me it was apparent that they hadn't been dried in that manner.

[hzrt8w]

I always thought the string beans had literally been dried as in desiccated

←

In a way it is. We just use high heat and oil as the agents. The string beans will eventually turn into carbon.

[eje]

Long beans are quite tasty too and I like it just as well.  Unfortunately they seem to be not as readily available as the string beans/green beans plus the prices are usally twice higher.

←

It's true they're hard to find in the Winter; but, come Summer Long Beans are plentiful and cheap at the farmers' markets, at least here. Especially, if you go kind of late in the day, the sellers practically pay you to take them, so they don't have to pack them back up and cart them back home. Once I got three huge bunches for a dollar or so. They were even the nifty red ones.

[Dejah]

Long beans are quite tasty too and I like it just as well.  Unfortunately they seem to be not as readily available as the string beans/green beans plus the prices are usally twice higher.

←

It's true they're hard to find in the Winter; but, come Summer Long Beans are plentiful and cheap at the farmers' markets, at least here. They were even the nifty red ones.

←

Red ones? Are they the same as Chinese long beans - dow jie? The ones that grow about 2 feet long?

I find you have to check them carefully when shopping. They can be pithy. Or, if you don't eat them right away, and let them sit in the fridge even for acouple of days, they will become pithy.

When I make these, I like to add my chilis to the oil before I add the beans for the extra heat. Have never use Szechuan veg with them. Must try that!

Somehow, I still prefer my green beans with fu yu.

[canucklehead]

I always thought the string beans had literally been dried as in desiccated

←

In a way it is. We just use high heat and oil as the agents. The string beans will eventually turn into carbon.

←

I've always thought that the dish WAS orginally made with dried string beans - because on most menus I seen the chinese name as "Four Seasons Beans" - so logically I thought it was a way serve beans that had been air dried. I've seen other vegetables being air dried in China - but who knows?

Nowadays - most restaurants deep fry their beans to get that 'crumpled' textured. It is nice to see the suggestions above to help keep the dish healthier.

Edited April 17, 2006 by canucklehead (log)

[Fat Guy]

Given the number of people in New York City who order dried sauteed string beans on any given day, and also its variants such as chicken with string beans, they'd have to cover the roof of every building in the city with sheet pans full of string beans in order to air dry enough of them to keep pace with demand. Flying in to JFK airport would afford a bizarre view of string bean colored rooftops stretching as far as the eye can see.

Or I guess they could dry them all in Jersey and bring them over by string bean barge.

[Pan]

Amazing coincidence, I was eating at a local Chinese restaurant last night, where the dish is (as it is on many Chinese menus I've seen in New York) called "dried sauteed string beans,"

←

Actually I've seen a variant of this dish in Malaysian restaurants as well. They dry-fry the string beans, and add small dried shrimp as well as ground pork, but then they toss in fermented shrimp paste in addition to the chili/bean paste, and I beleive garlic and shallots as well. I'm pretty sure it also has the preserved vegetable. I think Penang in NYC makes it that way, the NJ location in East Hanover certainly does. I think we order it just about every time we go there.

I wasn't aware this was typically a Sichuan dish, though.

←

Yes, although this dish is typically made with long beans (kacang panjang in Malay). String beans are not traditional in Malaysia. Also, the pork is inessential and never used when Kacang Panjang Belacan is made by Malays, who as Muslims cannot eat pig products. The typical dish would include plenty of little dried shrimp, plenty of belacan, and indeed the chilis and shallots you mention, but I'm not positive about the garlic and I normally wouldn't expect any meat to be in the dish, unless you count shrimps (there could be some non-dried medium-sized shrimps in the dish, too). I would be surprised if the Malaysian version of the dish has origins in Sichuan, though. I think belacan dishes go back a long way in Malaysia and Indonesia.

[BarbaraY]

This dish is one of my all time favorites. I don't remember where I first tried it but I know it was love at first taste.

I have never made it with jalapeno, only dried red chili. Must give it a try.

[Jason Perlow]

Amazing coincidence, I was eating at a local Chinese restaurant last night, where the dish is (as it is on many Chinese menus I've seen in New York) called "dried sauteed string beans,"

←

Actually I've seen a variant of this dish in Malaysian restaurants as well. They dry-fry the string beans, and add small dried shrimp as well as ground pork, but then they toss in fermented shrimp paste in addition to the chili/bean paste, and I beleive garlic and shallots as well. I'm pretty sure it also has the preserved vegetable. I think Penang in NYC makes it that way, the NJ location in East Hanover certainly does. I think we order it just about every time we go there.

I wasn't aware this was typically a Sichuan dish, though.

←

Yes, although this dish is typically made with long beans (kacang panjang in Malay). String beans are not traditional in Malaysia. Also, the pork is inessential and never used when Kacang Panjang Belacan is made by Malays, who as Muslims cannot eat pig products. The typical dish would include plenty of little dried shrimp, plenty of belacan, and indeed the chilis and shallots you mention, but I'm not positive about the garlic and I normally wouldn't expect any meat to be in the dish, unless you count shrimps (there could be some non-dried medium-sized shrimps in the dish, too). I would be surprised if the Malaysian version of the dish has origins in Sichuan, though. I think belacan dishes go back a long way in Malaysia and Indonesia.

←

Right, long beans. I think they use long beans at Penang as well. They also make the same dish with Okra and also with "convolous".

I'm -fairly- sure the version at Penang uses both the shrimp and the pork, because the restaurant is owned by Chinese Malaysians, not Muslim ones.

The observation about not expecting vegetable dishes to have any meat in them at all when dining in Malaysia is interesting because I don't think Penang has a single vegetable dish on their menu without any meat. Even their tofu dish (their Tofu Nyonya, excellent) is meat based. So really everything you get from that restaurant, while Malay, is coming from the Chinese perspective. Still, one of my favorite Asian restaruants in the area though.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=16273

[eje]

...

Red ones? Are they the same as Chinese long beans - dow jie? The ones that grow about 2 feet long?

...

←

Don't know the Chinese name. They are about 2 feet long and sold in bunches of 8 beans or so by many of the Asian sellers at the farmers' market. They are either green or speckled with red spots.

It's my understanding, that, as plants, they are closer related to black eyed peas, than beans.

I'm not a connoisseur; but, find I have more trouble finding really good, cheap green beans than long beans, at least when they're in season.

Edited April 17, 2006 by eje (log)

[jo-mel]

...

Red ones? Are they the same as Chinese long beans - dow jie? The ones that grow about 2 feet long?

...

←

Don't know the Chinese name. They are about 2 feet long and sold in bunches of 8 beans or so by many of the Asian sellers at the farmers' market. They are either green or speckled with red spots.

It's my understanding, that, as plants, they are closer related to black eyed peas, than beans.

I'm not a connoisseur; but, find I have more trouble finding really good, cheap green beans than long beans, at least when they're in season.

←

Do you mean these?

Scroll down a bit to Dau Gok

http://www.foodsubs.com/Snapbean.html