Simple and Delicious: Stir-Fried Cowpeas with Sauerkraut

Ingredients for Stir-Fried Cowpeas with Sauerkraut：

Steps:

1.Pick up the fermented sauerkraut and place it in a bowl. The sauerkraut has been pickled, giving it a unique salty-sour taste and a crisp texture. Before placing the sauerkraut in the bowl, rinse it with clean water. Washing it will help remove excess salt and brine, making the sauerkraut more refreshing and tasty. After rinsing, arrange the sauerkraut in a dry bowl and set it aside. (Here’s how to pickle sauerkraut: Select fresh sauerkraut, wash it thoroughly, remove old leaves and roots, and cut it into small pieces. Next, place the chopped sauerkraut in a clean bowl, add an appropriate amount of salt, chili powder, and black pepper, then gently mix it by hand, ensuring each piece of sauerkraut is evenly coated with the seasoning. Allow it to marinate for half an hour to develop its flavor. Then squeeze out any excess moisture from the marinated sauerkraut and transfer it to a clean glass jar. Make sure the jar is washed and dried, free of water and oil. Cover the jar with plastic wrap to prevent air from entering. Finally, seal the jar tightly and keep it in a cool, ventilated place to ferment for 15 days. During this process, the sauerkraut will gradually ferment and turn sour, emitting a unique aroma.)

2.Take a handful of fresh cowpeas and wash them thoroughly to ensure they are clean and free of impurities. Grab a chef’s knife and cut the cowpeas into small dice. Start by trimming off the tops and tails of the cowpeas, then cut them into fine dice. Be sure to maintain uniformity in the cutting, so that the cowpea dice are of similar size. This not only makes the dish more visually appealing but also ensures that the cowpeas are easier to cook and chew.

3.Prepare fresh garlic and peel off the outer skin. Then, take a knife and finely chop the garlic cloves into very small pieces, resembling granules. Next, take a small chili pepper, wash it, and remove the stem from the top. Then, use a knife to slice the chili pepper into small circular segments, ensuring they are similar in size. Place the chopped garlic and sliced chili pepper in a bowl for later use. These seasonings will add a rich aroma and spicy flavor to your dish.

4.Prepare a piece of streaky pork and carefully slide the knife along the surface of the meat to separate the skin from the flesh. Once the skin has been removed, place the streaky pork on a cutting board and use a knife to finely mince it. You can choose to make vertical cuts followed by horizontal cuts to ensure the minced meat is even and of similar size. Make sure the knife is sharp during the cutting process and practice safe handling. Once minced, collect the streaky pork in a bowl for later use.

5.Pour a small amount of cooking oil into the pan and heat it up. Once the oil is hot, add the minced pork belly that has been prepared into the pan. Stir-fry quickly with a spatula until the meat changes color and is fully cooked. Then, add the chopped seasonings such as cowpeas into the pan and continue stir-frying rapidly to mix them thoroughly and release their aroma. Next, add the diced cowpeas into the pan and continue stir-frying. The cowpeas need to be cooked through to ensure they become tender. During the cooking process, you can drizzle a little light soy sauce along the edges of the pan to enhance the savory flavor. Finally, add the washed sauerkraut into the pan and continue stir-frying evenly. Since the sauerkraut has been seasoned during the pickling process, no additional seasoning is needed.

6.Choose a suitable plate or bowl and pour the sauteed sauerkraut and cowpeas into it. Ensure that each ingredient is evenly distributed on the plate to showcase a colorful and appealing presentation. Now, serve this meticulously prepared dish on the table and enjoy it with your family or friends.

Tips:

1.Ensure that the cowpeas are cut into similar-sized cubes, as this will result in more even cooking and better texture.

2.The cowpeas should not be cooked for too long to maintain their crisp and tender texture. When stir-frying cowpeas, try using a quick-frying method, keeping the heat high and stirring rapidly to ensure they are fully cooked while still retaining some freshness.

The vibrant cowpeas turn into a tempting shade of green after stir-frying, while the sauerkraut adds a unique salty and savory flavor. During the cooking process, the cowpeas transform from raw and astringent to tender and fresh, perfectly blending with the aromatic sauerkraut. What sets this dish apart is its rich texture, combining the saltiness of sauerkraut with the juiciness and tenderness of cowpeas. Moreover, it is highly nutritious, containing proteins, vitamins, and minerals that contribute to good health.