Servings: 2
Chinese Stir-Fried Chayote Recipe
This stir-fried chayote is a great side dish for dinners. You can easily double the recipe if you are cooking for more people. See note 3 for a vegan option.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoons (12 to 18g) dried shrimp, (see note 1)
- 21 ounces (600g) chayote
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola, vegetable, or almond oil
- 35 grams shallots or onions , sliced (1/3 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- a few slices of ginger
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) water or your broth of choice, (see note 2)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, if using broth instead of water, use 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, optional, (see note 3)
Garnish
- sliced scallions
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse the dried shrimp and soak them in tap water for 30 minutes (or 15 to 20 minutes with hot water). Once soaked, drain the water.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off the chayote. If your chayote has deep ridges on the sides, you may need to use a paring knife to cut off the skin from the ridges.
- Slice off the top of the chayote. Place the cut side down and slice the chayote in half. Slice off any skin that’s still stuck to the bottom ridges of the chayote. Dig out the seed with a knife or spoon.
- Slice each half of the chayote lengthwise, so that you now have 4 sections. Slice each section into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices. Give the chayote slices a quick rinse and drain them.
- In a wok (or a sauté pan), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and dried shrimp. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, add the chayote.
- Add the water (or broth), salt, and chicken bouillon powder, if using. Stir everything together.
- Cover the wok with a lid and continue cooking the chayote for 7 to 8 minutes, until the chayote is fork tender. I like to bite into a slice to make sure the texture is to my liking. I want them soft but still a bit firm (i.e., not completely mushy). Be careful if you do this as the chayote is very hot. Taste the broth and add more salt, if necessary.
- Transfer the chayote to a serving bowl. Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.
- Serve with jasmine rice, brown rice, or any of my rice dishes or noodle dishes.
Video
Notes
- Dried shrimp can come in varying sizes, from very small (about 1/4-inch) to big (almost an inch wide). I typically use roughly 3 tablespoons of medium-sized shrimp because I love eating them. Feel free to reduce this to 2 tablespoons, especially if you're using very tiny dried shrimp.
- I often like to add more water when cooking chayote so that I can eat the broth like soup. I usually add a bit more salt when I do this. You can also use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water.
- Chicken bouillon powder is packed with umami flavor. That’s why I like adding it to chayote. Knorr or Lee Kum Kee are brands that I use. If you're not using chicken bouillon powder, I highly recommend cooking the squash with broth for more flavor.
- For bit of spice, add 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground white pepper. Pre-ground white pepper tends to be a finer grind, so use a scant 1/4 teaspoon.
- Vegan Option: You can sauté the chayote with a few diced shiitake mushrooms. I highly recommend using vegetable broth instead of water for more flavor. You may need to adjust the levels of additional salt, depending on the broth you’re using. For more umami flavor, you can add a few teaspoons of mushroom powder (like ground shiitake or porcini mushrooms).
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.3g | Protein: 7.3g | Fat: 4.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 337mg | Fiber: 6.8g | Sugar: 7.4g
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