Stir-fried Peppers with Mao Xiucai

Stir-fried Peppers with Mao Xiucai

　　Stir-fried Peppers with Mao Xiucai has relatively simple ingredients. It is a specialty dish from Guilin, Guangxi. Legend has it that in the past, there was a scholar surnamed Mao in Guilin who failed the imperial examination and returned home to farm. Through careful cultivation, the tomatoes he grew were large, plump, and delicious in taste, gradually gaining some fame in nearby villages and towns. Whenever market day came, people were willing to buy tomatoes grown by Mao Xiucai. I want Mao Xiucai’s tomatoes！Give me two jin of Mao Xiucai！Get me some Mao Xiucai！Over time, “Mao Xiucai” became synonymous with tomatoes and also turned into a distinctive local dialect term in Guilin.

　　Main ingredients: Mao Xiucai, peppers. Side ingredients: a small amount of scallions, ginger, garlic.

　　Seasonings: soy sauce, salt, chicken essence or MSG, sugar, oil, sesame oil.

　　The cooking method is as follows:

　　1. First, wash the Mao Xiucai and cut it into chunks.

　　2. Wash the peppers and cut them into 1–2 cm segments.

　　3. Wash the scallions, ginger, and garlic, then dice them for later use.

　　4. Turn the heat to high, heat the pan, add an appropriate amount of oil, and when the oil is about 70–80% hot, add the ginger and garlic to stir-fry until aromatic.

　　5. Once the ginger and garlic are fragrant, add the pepper segments and stir-fry.

　　6. Add the Mao Xiucai, along with soy sauce, a little salt, and a little sugar, and stir well.

　　7. When it is about 80% cooked, add an appropriate amount of chicken essence or MSG.

　　8. Remove from heat, plate the dish, drizzle with sesame oil, and sprinkle with scallion pieces to finish.