Pictorial: Sichuan Style Dry-Fried String Beans

[eje]

Do you mean these?

Scroll down a bit to Dau Gok

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

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No, they are exactly the same as regular long beans except in color.

Shoot, I wish I had taken a picture last summer.

Here are a couple web images that seem similar:

Red and Green Long Beans

More Red Long Beans

[msphoebe]

Thank you SO MUCH for this pictoral! One of my favorite dishes -- can't wait to try my luck at preparing it at home. Your instructions with photos are fabulous! Thanks again for taking the time!

[jo-mel]

Do you mean these?

Scroll down a bit to Dau Gok

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

←

No, they are exactly the same as regular long beans except in color.

Shoot, I wish I had taken a picture last summer.

Here are a couple web images that seem similar:

Red and Green Long Beans

More Red Long Beans

←

Interesting! I've never seen them in the Chinese stores. Are they a hybrid of some sort?

[hzrt8w]

Do you mean these?

Scroll down a bit to Dau Gok

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

←

No, they are exactly the same as regular long beans except in color.

[...]

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Erik: it does look like long beans are Dau Gok. That's the name I have learned and used for over 20 years. Perhaps you didn't scroll down far enough on jo-mel's page to see the last picture of that page? It is Dau Gok, and looks the same as your long beans.

This is the first time I have heard/seen the red color variety. Next time I will buy some if I see them to freak out my MIL.

She would think the long beans are moldy.

[hzrt8w]

Interesting!  I've never seen them in the Chinese stores. Are they a hybrid of some sort?

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The green (regular) long beans I often see in Chinese grocery stores. But not the red color ones, which I never did.

[tejon]

Thank you, thank you, thank you Ah Leung! This is one of my all time favorite dishes, and one I've been trying to master for years. I'll be trying this recipe as soon as I get my hands on some nice fresh green beans.

[hzrt8w]

Wow... I didn't know Sichuan Dry-Fried String Beans (or Long Beans) is so popular here!

[hzrt8w]

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?

[...]

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I did some more reading on this dish. On one site, they say that the Sichuan traditional way of making this is:

乾煸，原來指的是用极少的油將需要炒的東西在鍋里長時間的小火慢炒。可是現在，一般的做法都是先油里炸過一遍，再來煸炒。

Translation: "Dry-Fry", use very little oil to cook the ingredients (string beans) on a pot/wok using very slow fire over a long time. But nowadays, typically the string beans are first deep-fried before stir-frying with the other ingredients.

[eje]

Erik:  it does look like long beans are Dau Gok.  That's the name I have learned and used for over 20 years.  Perhaps you didn't scroll down far enough on jo-mel's page to see the last picture of that page?  It is Dau Gok, and looks the same as your long beans.

←

Oh, you're right. I didn't read the web page closely enough and thought dau gok was referring to the Dragon Tongue Beans on that page.

Thanks for pointing that out!

-Erik

edit - typo

Edited April 19, 2006 by eje (log)

[jokhm]

I'll second the 'dry' part of the frying.

When I have this dish and really enjoy it is when the cooks know how to really give it a nearly dry and blistered look.

I'm not sure how i've replicated this at home, but it is definitely a combination of frying the beans dry, with not a drop of water and maybe a maximum of 1 teaspoon of oil!! The only major issue with doing this is that you have to have a HOT(!!!!!) stove. I mean really hot. When the beans are starting out, throw in the salt. As soon as the beans are slightly blistered and have started to turn colours a touch, throw in the mostly cooked ground meat.. Careful to taste the meat before you continue adding salt to taste.. since it collects a lot of it. Anyway, I'll stop now, since I never quite know how I cook it. Sometimes it works and sometime it doesn't. But the main thing I enjoy with them is how they nearly feel deep fried... and also how they blow my brains out with mala..

[canucklehead]

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?

[...]

←

I did some more reading on this dish. On one site, they say that the Sichuan traditional way of making this is:

乾煸，原來指的是用极少的油將需要炒的東西在鍋里長時間的小火慢炒。可是現在，一般的做法都是先油里炸過一遍，再來煸炒。

Translation: "Dry-Fry", use very little oil to cook the ingredients (string beans) on a pot/wok using very slow fire over a long time. But nowadays, typically the string beans are first deep-fried before stir-frying with the other ingredients.

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Once again - you have enlightened me. Thanks for checking into this!

[hzrt8w]

Once again - you have enlightened me.  Thanks for checking into this!

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I learned a lot myself by finding answers to questions.

[Carlovski]

This is one of my favourites. I often end up messing it up slightly by using too much pork - I buy too much and know I won't use it the next day so put it all in. Ends up being pork with beans rather than the other way round.

I usually add a slosh of black vinegar at the end to mine too - not sure how authentic that is - oh and some sichuan pepper. i also tend to make it very spicy.

[andrewhwest]

I like to make the flavors more complex by also including some ginger, dried shrimp, hot bean paste, and a little sugar and vinegar. Salty, spicy, sweet, sour. With sichuan peppercorns it's a little numbing too.

[tissue]

In Taiwan the street vendors sell string beans deep fried, sometimes with basil and then tossed in salt and pepper. It is REALLY REALLY delicious.

[msphoebe]

I made this dish following your instructions, Ah Leung. The dish is very tasty!

I was able to find the same package of preserved vegetable that you show. However, when I opened it up and started chopping, it seemed like a lot of preserved vegetable for this one dish. I did go ahead and put it all in...but was I supposed to use the whole package, or less?

And another question regarding the "chili paste". As you mentioned in another recent thread, there are literally dozens (if not hundreds) of brands/types of chili paste. Which one (or type) do you recommend for this dish?

I used "hot black bean" paste, and after I did I figured I used the wrong one. It tastes fine, but wondered what your preference is in this dish?

Thanks for being such a great teacher!

[hzrt8w]

I was able to find the same package of preserved vegetable that you show.  However, when I opened it up and started chopping, it seemed like a lot of preserved vegetable for this one dish.  I did go ahead and put it all in...but was I supposed to use the whole package, or less?

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msphoebe:

I used only half a pack. The other half... I just snacked on them. You may save the half pack for the next round or for some other dishes. They are preserved vegetables and would last a while. Just keep it in the refrigerator.

And another question regarding the "chili paste".  As you mentioned in another recent thread, there are literally dozens (if not hundreds) of brands/types of chili paste.  Which one (or type) do you recommend for this dish?

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My favorite brand is shown in this post:

Chili Bean Sauce, Fermented Chili Bean Sauce

If you can't find this particular brand, any other brand would be okay. They are very similar from my experience.

They would have labels like "chili bean paste" or "fermented chili bean paste". If those names confuse you, see if you can match the Chinese name (which is quite standard and I haven't see variations):

Chinese name: 辣豆瓣醬

Edited April 21, 2006 by hzrt8w (log)

[msphoebe]

Thanks for the quick response. I've got MANY different kinds of chili paste and bean paste in the fridge and pantry...so many to experiment with!

Can't wait till lunch tomorrow for leftovers...

[Qing]

Dry sauteed String Bean in Sichuan restaurants are usually NOT spicy.

I copied from the Sichuan folks to deep fried them first, then sauteed with the Sui Mi Ya Cai(Check out at: www.suimiyacai.com) and some scallions.

For minced pork, I rather have not.

[Shaya]

hzrt8w, first let me say that I looked through your pictorials today and they are so wonderfully rich and tantalizing. Thank you so much for taking the time to put them together. You have definitely got me psyched to get back into my former phase (pre-kids) of cooking Asian frequently.

I spontaneously decided to make these beans for friends tonight and they were amazing. At the end of the evening's feast everyone was still talking about these beans!

Since it was a spontaneous decision, I had to use what I had on hand. Instead of pork I used beef and I didn't have the Sichuan preserved vegetable. But I did have dried shrimp on hand so I added those.

[hzrt8w]

Shaya:

Thanks for your kind words and sharing your experience! Yours looks very nice too!

Indeed the dried shrimp adds some interest texture contrast in this dish. One may also use some lap yuk (Chinese dried bacon) - dice them up - in making this and similar dishes.

Minced beef, pork, chicken, turkey... all would work too.

[Soup]

made this last night and it came out pretty good. I didn't have the pickled veggies but it turned out great. It was the best of the dishes I made for dinner last night.

[Julian Teoh]

made this last night and it came out pretty good.  I didn't have the pickled veggies but it turned out great.  It was the best of the dishes I made for dinner last night.

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Ah Leung, the beans you used seem much fatter than those that I used to get in Malaysia. Ours were much skinnier and looked drier, almost semi-fried crispy, like the ones in Shaya's picture. Do you know of any differences in the variety of produce used, is it just things growing differently in different countries or is it cooking styles?

[Dejah]

Got a big bag of "Chinese green beans" from one of the "aunties" , so I made this for supper tonight. These are wider than ordinary green beans, and I've only ever seen them in the Chinese gardens.

I deep fried the beans, used a red hot pepper (rather mild, actually) for colour, and much more ground pork because my hubby is such a carnivore.

It was really interesting to pick up on the different flavours: the sesame oil in the pork, deep fried flavour of the beans, the crunch and salty bite of the ja choi, and the toban sauce heat. I topped it with a sprinkle of toasted sichuan peppers. The heat was just right.

This was very good with Ah Leung's lemon chicken with lemonade and plain rice.

[eje]

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

[...]

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At long last the red long beans are back at the farmers' market!

I have a picture to prove it!

Mmmm... Dry Fried Long beans are in my very near future!