Garlic pea sprouts or “dao mew” is one of my family’s favorite Chinese dishes and can be found on many Chinese restaurant menus but more often on a dim sum cart. Unlike most Chinese vegetable dishes such as gai lan or bok choy, “dao mew” as it’s also known, is a comparatively expensive dish.
Odd because traditional garlic pea shoots is basically the stems and leaves of a young (pealess) pea plants.
There’s not much to cooking pea shoots; the shoots are steamed and stir-fried in oil, minced garlic, and water. The limited ingredients and the simple preparation is what makes garlic pea shoots delicious with their delicate texture and sweet flavor. Here’s a drawn-out recipe with some color commentary if you need a step-by-step.
Garllc pea shoots (dao mew) is also referred to as “snow pea leaves,” “pea tips” or “sauteed pea sprouts”.