Kale Stir-Fry With Onions and Bamboo Shoots

Kale has been my new favourite leafy green vegetable ever since I tried them a few weeks ago in my Food Challenge segment. It is really easy to prepare (I love prewashing a large batch ahead of time and then I can take it out straight from the fridge and dump it into my skillet whenever I crave kale!) and the leaves provide a great surface for the sauce/dressing to cling onto, making every bite super flavourful.

This recipe is simply a modified version of the Stir-Fry Kale with Tahini and Hot Pepper Sauce that I immediately fell in love with when I first tried it in my cooking lab class. I’ve made the original version several times already and each time it has been very good. But this time, I decided to spice things up by adding in a few more ingredients, and to my surprise, those few extra components has added a lot of depth and texture to the dish. I thought the original kale stir-fry was already yummy, but this new and improved version was beyond tasty, it was totally addictive and lip-smacking delicious!

Kale Stir-Fry with Onions and Bamboo Shoots

Ingredients:

• 150g ready-to-eat bamboo shoots, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 medium onion, julienned
• 1 bunch kale, tough stalks removed and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek (I like it really spicy, so you may want to use less to begin with.)
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• Drizzle of sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small knob ginger, minced

Directions:

• Fill your sink with lots of warm water and soak kale to allow the dirt to dislodge and sink to the bottom. When ready to cook kale, gently remove kale using a slotted spoon and drain.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients to make the dressing. Set aside.
• Preheat skillet with a drizzle of olive oil on medium heat. Pour in the onions and saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add in kale and continue to stir-fry until kale is wilted. Drizzle in soy sauce (this will add umami flavour and further draw out moisture from the kale leaves, making them wilt more).
• When kale is wilted and has a bright green colour, add in the bamboo shoots and pour in the dressing. Continue to saute the veggies until dressing is well incorporated.
• When bamboo shoots are heated thoroughly, and the dressing is well mixed in with the greens, transfer to a big bowl or plate and serve. Taste delicious when served hot over a bed of brown rice, or let it cool to room temperature and serve as a warm salad.