Taiwanese · side

Taiwanese Stir-Fried Clams with Basil (Chao Ge Li)

炒蛤蜊

Taiwanese Stir-Fried Clams with Basil (Chao Ge Li) — from 莊師傅的廚房's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 6:14

Video by 莊師傅的廚房 on YouTube, in Chinese · Open on YouTube

20 minServes 3173 kcal a serve
  • Low carb (7.3 g net carbs) but not keto: 52% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
  • Pescatarian
  • Gluten-free with a swap: Use a gluten-free soy paste or tamari thickened with a little cornflour, and rice vinegar instead of black vinegar
  • Dairy-free
  • Nut-free

Contains: Gluten, Molluscs, Sesame, Soy. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Clams stir-fried with ginger, garlic and basil: about 11 g protein and 7 g net carbs a serve, with about 3 g added sugar from the sugar and soy paste. Clams give many times a day's vitamin B12 and are rich in selenium.

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Ingredients 13

Method

The cook speaks Chinese; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

  1. Smash and mince the ginger and garlic, slice the chilli diagonally and cut the spring onion into short lengths. The clams should already be purged of sand and scrubbed. 1:28
  2. Mix the sauce: 1 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp thick soy paste, 2 tbsp rice wine and a spoon of black vinegar. 3:05
  3. Heat a wok (not a non-stick pan) until hot, add 1 tbsp oil and stir-fry the ginger, garlic, chilli and spring onion over high heat until fragrant. 3:58
  4. Add the 600 g clams, toss, pour in the sauce and toss again. Cover and cook 1 minute on high heat so the clams steam open quickly and stay plump. 4:23
  5. Uncover, toss, then add the basil and 1 tbsp sesame oil and stir-fry briefly until the basil wilts. Turn off the heat and serve. 4:56

Tip. Serves 2–3 as part of a shared meal. A Taiwanese stir-fry-shop classic, usually eaten with rice and other dishes. Soak clams in salted water for a few hours to purge sand before cooking, and discard any that stay closed after cooking.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 3

Energy173 kcal730 kJ
Protein11 g22% of a day
Fibre0.7 g3% of a day
Carbohydrate8 g7.3 g net · 1.8 g sugars3% of a day
Fat10 g1.1 g saturated13% of a day
Sodium810 mg35% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 18%
  • Protein 27%
  • Fat 55%

Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin B12 High1652%

40 µg a serve, mostly from live clams (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Selenium High49%

27 µg a serve, mostly from live clams (96%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Vitamin K High37%

44 µg a serve, mostly from thai basil (63%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Omega-3 High36%

0.6 g a serve, mostly from vegetable oil (72%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin C High20%

18 mg a serve, mostly from live clams (49%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Zinc Source11%

1.3 mg a serve, mostly from live clams (87%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin A Source10%

91 µg a serve, mostly from live clams (75%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Show the other 8
Iron9%

1.7 mg a serve, mostly from live clams (68%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Potassium8%

360 mg a serve, mostly from live clams (71%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Vitamin E8%

1.1 mg a serve, mostly from vegetable oil (70%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Vitamin B68%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from live clams (33%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Folate6%

23 µg a serve, mostly from live clams (50%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Calcium5%

67 mg a serve, mostly from live clams (55%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Magnesium4%

19 mg a serve, mostly from live clams (39%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by 莊師傅的廚房; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.