Northern Shaanxi Braised Green Beans

Northern Shaanxi braised green beans is extremely beginner-friendly. Because it uses a braising method, ingredients can be added or omitted, and it is almost impossible to fail.

Difficulty ★★Updated 1/25/2026

Ingredients and Tools

  • Green beans
  • Potato
  • Tomato
  • Spiral chili (optional)
  • Salt
  • Light soy sauce
  • Five-spice powder
  • Oyster sauce
  • Scallion
  • Ginger
  • Garlic

Measurements

  • Green beans 300g * 2 servings
  • Potato 1 * 2 servings
  • Tomato 1 * 2 servings
  • Spiral chili (optional) 2 * 2 servings
  • Salt 6g * 2 servings
  • Light soy sauce 6ml * 2 servings
  • Five-spice powder 3g * 2 servings
  • Oyster sauce 6ml * 2 servings
  • Scallion 3 rings
  • Ginger 2g
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Cilantro bits (optional) add to taste

Steps

  • Slice scallion into rings, mince garlic, slice ginger, set aside.
  • Remove strings from green beans, cut into 2-10cm segments, set aside.
  • Peel potato, cut into 1cm³ cubes, set aside.
  • Peel tomato, cut into 1cm³ cubes, set aside.
  • Remove seeds from chili, cut into 0.15cm-wide strips, set aside.
  • Heat oil in a wok (10ml - 15ml). When it begins to smoke, add scallion, ginger, and garlic, stir-fry until fragrant;
  • Add green beans and stir-fry until the color changes (from green to bright green);
  • Add potato cubes, stir-fry for 30s;
  • Add hot water (just covering the vegetables), cover and braise until the potatoes are soft (you can check with chopsticks);
  • Add tomato cubes, add salt, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, five-spice powder, and chili, braise until the tomatoes become saucy (stir to prevent sticking);
  • Add cilantro bits and serve.

Notes

  • After adding the tomato, continue braising and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If you follow this guide and find any issues or improvements, please raise an Issue or Pull request.