Snake Bean and Egg Stir-Fry

Have you ever walked around the produce section of an Asian market and spotted some snake bean (Chinese long bean) and were unsure how to cook it?

Well, wonder no more because today I am sharing my easy recipe for preparing a quick stir-fry with snake bean and eggs.

This recipe is perfect when you need an inexpensive dish, but still tasty, filling, and pretty healthy.

You will only need about 20 minutes from prepping to finish cooking the dish, making this the perfect quick meal when you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen.

What is Snake Bean (Chinese Long Bean)?

Snake bean has many names. It is also known as Chinese long bean, asparagus bean, yardlong bean, and pea bean. Indonesians know this bean as kacang panjang.

As the name implies, snake bean is quite long, ranging between 1 and 2.5 feet. The bean is usually cut into shorter sections to make it easier to cook and eat.

We harvest the beans when they are still young. The green color pods are crisp and tender, even when raw. A Sundanese vegetable salad (Karedok) incorporates fresh uncooked snake beans as one of its main ingredients.

Ingredients for snake bean and egg stir-fry

• snake bean (Chinese long bean)
• eggs
• garlic
• fish sauce
• sugar
• salt
• white pepper (or black pepper)

Fish sauce substitute

If you live in the US, fish sauce has become very easy to find in most grocery stores. I have even spotted fish sauce in Safeway, Target, Walmart, and Costco.

Any well-stocked Asian market should have at least one brand of fish sauce available. My favorite brands are Red Boat and Three Crabs, but even the cheaper Squid brand or Lucky brand is quite good if you don’t want to splurge on the pricier brands.

If you really must substitute, I recommend using the same amount of oyster sauce. The dish will still be delicious, and most people won’t even be able to tell the difference.

How to cook snake bean and egg stir-fry

Wash and drain snake beans. Chop off and discard the stalk ends, then cut the beans into 1/2 inch sections.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Once the wok feels hot, add oil and swirl to coat the pan.

Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, or until the color turns golden brown.

Add chopped snake beans and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.

Push the beans to one side, and pour beaten eggs into the empty spot to make scrambled eggs.

Stir the snake beans and scrambled eggs to mix, add water, and season with fish sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well, and cook until the water has evaporated.

Turn off the heat, transfer the dish to a serving plate, and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Other easy stir-fry recipes to try

If you love quick and easy stir-fry dishes, you may want to try these recipes too:

• Chinese cabbage stir-fry
• broccolini and tofu stir-fry
• green beans and ground beef stir-fry
• tofu, mushroom, and egg stir-fry
• green bean, carrot, and egg stir-fry
• bitter melon and egg stir-fry in black bean sauce

More snake bean (Chinese long bean) recipes

I have more snake bean (Chinese long bean) recipes if you want to try even more dishes using this bean:

• Gado-Gado - Indonesian salad with peanut sauce
• Pecel - another Indonesian salad with peanut sauce
• Tumis Kacang Panjang - Indonesian snake bean stir-fry
• snake bean and tempeh stir-fry
• Gulai Nangka dan Kacang Panjang - young jackfruit and snake bean stew
• Sayur Lodeh - Indonesian vegetable stew in coconut milk