Chinese long beans, sometimes known as Chinese string beans or Chinese yard-long beans, are long, slender beans that look similar to green beans. You can find Chinese long beans at well-stocked grocery stores or farmers' markets, depending on the area of the country in which you live. Chinese long beans are typically stir-fried with garlic, oil, sugar and pepper. In addition to stir frying, these beans can be used in place of green beans in recipes but, since they are tougher than green beans, you may need to cook them for longer.
Step 1
Heat the oil in the wok over high heat until it begins to bubble slightly.
Step 2
Add the garlic. If you are using ginger or red pepper flakes, add those as well. Cook for one minute, stirring frequently until the garlic begins to pop. The garlic, ginger and red pepper flavor the oil, which adds the flavor to the beans.
Step 3
Add the long beans and salt and stir to coat them with the oil. Cook for the beans for three minutes, stirring occasionally. The beans should be bright green but still crisp.
Step 4
Add the water and bring it to a boil.
Step 5
Reduce the heat to medium and allow the beans to simmer for five minutes or until they are tender enough to pierce with a fork but still crispy.
Step 6
Add the sugar, pepper and soy sauce and stir well. When the soy sauce is hot, remove the wok from the heat and serve the beans immediately.
Things You'll Need
- 3 tbsp. peanut or sesame oil
- 1 lb. Chinese long beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch sections
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 1-inch length of peeled ginger, grated, optional
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Soy sauce to taste
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