Ani's Kitchen Stories

This Sweet and Spicy Bok Choy Prawn is one of those quick stir-fries that brings together everything we love about Asian-inspired cooking. Fresh ingredients, bold flavours, and minimal effort in the kitchen. The sweetness from honey beautifully balances the heat from red bird eye chillies, while the soy and oyster sauces give it that deep umami kick.

Bok choy, with its crunchy stems and tender leafy tops, pairs wonderfully with juicy prawns. It not only adds texture but also brings freshness and nutrition to the plate. If bok choy isn’t easily available, you can swap it with spinach, mustard greens, or even tender broccoli.

Also make sure to use some good quality sauce. I’ve used Kikkoman soy sauce here. You can use any good quality light soy sauce if Kikkoman is not available. And a good oyster sauce, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil makes a whole lot of difference to get the perfect umami taste. Investing on quality sauce and ingredients brings out the richness of any dish. You can always explore in your nearby grocery store that stocks up Asian or international brands or you can order it from Amazon.

The best part about this dish is that it comes together in under 30 minutes—making it ideal for busy weeknights when you want something healthy but still full of flavour. Serve it over a steaming bowl of rice or alongside noodles and an egg boiled or fried and you’ll have a meal that feels comforting yet special.

For those who love to experiment, you can easily adjust the spice and sweetness levels. Add more chillies for extra heat, or increase the honey for a sweeter balance. A squeeze of lime at the end also brightens up the dish beautifully.

Ingredients:

• 250 g prawns (cleaned and deveined)

• 2 cups bok choy (chopped into bite-sized pieces)

• 1 small onion (finely chopped)

• 5–6 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

• 1/2 inch ginger (finely chopped or grated)

• 2–3 fresh red chillies (sliced)

• 2 spring onions (chopped, for garnish) 

• 2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce/light soy sauce 

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 tsp honey 

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)

• 2 tbsp water 

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)

• Salt to taste

• Crushed white and black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Wash the prawns and pet dry. Season it with salt and pepper 

2. In a pan, heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Add half of the chopped garlic, ginger, and onion. Sauté until fragrant.

3. Add the prawns and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until they just turn pink. Remove and keep aside (avoid overcooking, this will make the prawns rubbery in texture) 

4. In the same pan, add rest of the chopped ginger, garlic and onion. Sauté for a minute then add bok choy. Stir-fry on high heat for 2–3 minutes until just tender but still crisp.

5. In a small bowl add soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, rice vinegar, water and sesame oil. Stir well and pour it on the bok choy.  Let it bubble for a 1 min.

6. Add back the prawns along with sliced red chillies. Toss everything together for 1–2 minutes until well coated.

7. Adjust seasoning with salt and crushed white & black pepper. Garnish with chopped spring onions. Enjoy with rice or noodles.