Garlic Bok Choy (Quick & Healthy Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to eat bok choy? ›

In fact, bok choy may be beneficial for heart health, bone health, and thyroid function. It may even have anticancer properties. You may want to eat it in cooked form to reduce your intake of myrosinase, a compound that could interfere with iodine absorption.

Traditional bok choy has dark, crinkly leaves and crisp, white stems; Shanghai bok choy has spoon-shaped leaves and jade green stems. The cool thing is that both the leaves and the stalks can be eaten, and this wonderful little plant is an excellent go-to for fiber, as well as for beta-carotene and vitamins C, K and A.

The simplest way to prep bok choy is to cut it in half lengthwise and submerge it in cold water for a few minutes. This will soften the dirt and allow you to remove it easily. Drain the water, check for dirt between the stalks, and run each half of bok choy under cold water.

Bok choy can be eaten both raw and cooked. If you typically eat a large amount of bok choy and are concerned about myrosinase and your thyroid, cook bok choy first.

In equivalent raw weight, bok choy contains more vitamin C, vitamin A, and some other nutrients than spinach and around the same amount of calcium. Spinach, however, contains higher amounts of some other nutrients, including vitamin K, than bok choy.

A meta-analysis and review of research in the journal Food Chemistry found that eating 100 grams of cruciferous vegetables, such as bok choy, every day was associated with a 10% reduction in the risk of death from any cause. (100 grams of cooked bok choy is a little more than a half-cup.)

Too much bok choy: Risks and side effects

Like its cousins broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, bok choy is a cruciferous veggie. These veggies are notorious for causing gas and bloating, and some people are more sensitive to the cruciferous curse than others.

Baby bok choy can be fibrous, which makes biting into a whole leaf a stringy chore and an affront to etiquette. Remember, unless you are a non-Asian, there is no silverware brought to the table. The only tools you have to break down this unwittingly challenging vegetable are chopsticks and your teeth.

The vegetable is also high in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, all of which help to reduce your blood pressure naturally. Some studies show that eating sufficient potassium can help to lower sodium-induced high blood pressure.

Acidity can really bring a pleasant flavor out of bitter greens. If they're being used for a salad, it's good to add a vinaigrette with plenty of acidity to brighten it up. If you are sauteing, add some vinegar or citrus to the greens to finish them off.

What is the difference between bok choy and pak choy? ›

The names Pak Choy and Bok Choy are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference, and it's all in the stem. Bok Choy has a white stem, whereas Pak Choy has a green stem. Pak Choy looks like a squat celery with pale green, short stalks and glossy deep green leaves.

The best way to eat bok choy is to lightly steam or stir-fry it to retain its crisp texture. Overcooking makes it mushy. Bok choy has a delicious, mild flavor that pairs well with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, chiles, or Whole30 peanut sauce.

Bok choy is a vibrant green vegetable. If the leaves are dull or light green, the bok choy has gone bad. Other signs to look for are if the stems have turned yellow and if spots have begun to appear on the leaves and stems.

Bok choy has a stellar lineup of nutrients that help promote bone health — including iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and bone-building vitamin K. In addition, this superfood is a much healthier alternative to fat-filled milk for getting the RDA of calcium and preventing calcium deficiency.

Cook for about 6 minutes until the base of the bok choy is slightly tender. Test it with the tip of a knife, then serve. For best results, trim the stalks off before boiling, as the stalks take longer to cook than the leaves.

What is the difference between regular bok choy and baby bok choy? There is virtually no difference between regular-sized bok choy and baby bok choy. Baby bok choy is harvested earlier than regular-sized bok choy, and as a result, the vegetable is naturally smaller and overall is a bit sweeter.

Along with being crunchy and delicious, bok choy is full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that make it a beneficial addition to your diet. Like other dark, leafy greens, it's full of antioxidants and other compounds that help to promote better health.