We continue our series on healthy, low-carbohydrate Chinese food with these home style seafood recipes. All of these contain less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per serving. There is quite a variety of cuisine styles and flavors in these dishes, from the light, succulent dry-braised shrimp to the wonderful blend of flavors of dry-braised carp to the cumin and chili sweetness of squid and scallops. There’s something for every palate in these low-carb Chinese seafood dishes.
Low Carbohydrate Chinese Seafood Entrees Image Credit: Glenn Emerson for My Chinese Home Kitchen, 2024.
For Western cooks, carp can be difficult to find in your local grocer’s seafood department. So, if you are not near an Asian grocery, try substituting another firm-fleshed fish such as catfish. Those in the southern US who enjoy fried catfish coated with cornmeal will enjoy the variety offered by sesame-crusted fillets.
If you are short of time for cooking, the squid and scallops dishes offer quick and easy low-carb Chinese seafood meals. Grab a handful of hot chilies, a spoon of Laoganma black bean chili oil, a spoon of cumin, a little minced garlic and cilantro, and you are ready to cook. Season in the wok with a little oyster sauce and light soy sauce. Cooking time is just two and a half minutes for these two dishes.
Low carbohydrate Chinese seafood recipes
1
Dry-braised Shrimp and Cucumber
Shell fish have always been a delicacy in my mind, be it crayfish or river prawns. No matter which cooking method we choose, shrimp can show its own delicious taste perfectly, and it is rich in protein. I recommend using fresh, live shrimp, as fresh shrimp will taste better. Since I can’t get fresh shrimp, I can only use frozen raw shrimp. This recipe is simple and quick to cook. We will use cucumber, but you can mix and match any veggies you want, as long as the dish looks refreshing. This is a lightly seasoned dish, which emphasizes the flavor of the shrimp.
Squid is very popular on Chinese tables. It appears in barbecue restaurants, hot pot restaurants, and large and small banquets. When I went to banquets as a child, I always hoped that squid would appear on the table as soon as possible. Squid is of course one of my favorite foods. Squid contains various nutrients and its cooking method is also very simple. The cumin squid I will cook today will bring you a whole new experience. Note: Bay scallops make a good substitute for squid.
This is a variation of Jing's Cumin Squid Tentacles. Scallops make a great substitute, but since they have a more delicate flavor, some adjustment of the ingredients is recommended.
Technique: Dry BraisingMaybe you've eaten braised fish, which is rich in flavor in a delicious broth. So have you ever eaten dry-braised fish? It is very similar to braised fish, but there are differences. This dish of dry-braised fish does not have much broth, the whole is not very moist, and the taste of this dish is a little sweet, because of the combination of rice wine: this dish is full of special taste. If this intrigues you, please try cooking with me!
This recipe for carp or catfish or other firm fish uses a mixture of starch and egg to create a batter that holds the sesame seeds to the fish fillet. The fresh, rinsed fillets are marinated with salt, green onion, and ginger, before being dipped in egg, rolled in sesame seeds, and deep-fried. Serve Sesame-crusted Fish Fillets with your favorite sauce or salad dressing. Or you can season them with cumin and chili powder, like our Easy Fried Chicken.
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Chen Jing
I was born in Guangxi. As long as I remember, I have liked cooking.
When I was a child, my dream was to become a gourmet and travel the world to taste the food of various countries. My ambition is to become a chef. The kitchen is my partner. There are many kinds of Chinese cuisine, there are 8 kinds, reflecting the richness and diversity of Chinese geography and history. I am very happy to share with you Chinese cuisine and cultural traditions.
