The most common way to cook water bamboo is probably because it is so ordinary and inexpensive, and it is simple to clean and process, requiring almost no skills. Therefore, there is not much room for premium pricing. Restaurants generally do not sell this dish, but every household in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai knows how to cook it. Moreover, I don't think I have ever seen any child who doesn't eat it. It is a highly palatable commodity.
Materials
How to make braised water bamboo shoots, a popular Shanghai-style dish that kids love.
The water bamboo I bought at the market was a bit too big. After peeling and removing the tougher parts, the net weight was 450g. I cut it into chunks, or you can cut it into strips if you prefer, just make sure they are long and thin.
Heat the pan, add plenty of oil (about 2-3 times the amount you would normally use for stir-frying), and fry the water bamboo shoots over high heat until the skin is slightly wrinkled and golden brown.
After frying, use kitchen paper towels to absorb the excess oil. If you don't want to waste oil, you can skip this step.
Add 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce (using a standard 15ml baking spoon), 10g of dark soy sauce, 4g of white sugar, and a little water. Cook over high heat until the sauce thickens slightly, then it's ready to serve.
Dinner is served.
