Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish

Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish, an extremely simple dish but so tasty and flavorful.

Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish has always been one of my favorite dishes, even as a child. While most children disliked bean sprouts (also known as mung bean sprouts), My younger brother, Jody and I  have always enjoyed them. Not my youngest brother, Jordan though. It has always been a challenge to get him to eat vegetables, even till this day. 

When we were kids, we would go food shopping at the wet market with my mom. Wet markets are usually partially covered markets where food vendors sell their products. There will be the meats and fish sections, fruits and produce, dry goods and usually a hawker center selling cooked one dish meals as well. The vegetable stalls would usually have bean sprouts for sale. They are typically displayed in a large round sieve and sold by weight. Unlike now where bean sprouts are cleaned and roots picked off in a sealed packet, those bean sprouts then still have the roots attached to them. We would buy a large packet of bean sprouts and then head home to pick off the roots before cooking them.
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Salted fish is one of the most popular ingredient to cook bean sprouts with. Salted fish is a traditional Chinese food originating from the Guandong province in China. The fish is preserved or cured with salt and was a staple food in southern China. Historically known as the "poor man's food" because the extreme saltiness of the fish was useful in adding variety and taste to the simpler rice based meals. More recently, it has become a popular cuisine in its own right. Another dish that I had shared previously that uses salted fish as flavoring is the "Steamed Pork Patty Rice".

Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
16 oz Bean Sprouts (rinsed and drained)
1/4 cup Salted Fish (finely diced)
1 tbsp Chopped Garlic
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Shallot Oil
1 tbsp Water
2 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Cooking Method
1. Prepare the sauce first by mixing 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp shallot oil, 1 tbsp water in a bowl and set aside.
2. Heat up 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok on medium heat. Add in finely diced salted fish and stir fry until they are golden brown and crispy.
3. Add in 1 tbsp chopped garlic and stir fry until fragrant.
4. Reduce heat to low and add in bean sprouts. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add in prepared sauce and mix well. (Do not overcook bean sprouts, you'd still want a crisp and crunchy texture).
5. Turn heat off and stir in chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.