biyuti

Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry

This vegetable stir fry is easy to make and so delicious. The crisp, tender veggies are tossed in a rich, savory sauce with plenty of aromatics. Serve it as a main or a side for a simple, healthy dinner. {Vegetarian, Gluten Free adaptable}To make the dish gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. If you need to replace the fermented black beans, do not use Doubanjiang (it isn’t gluten-free) but rather the other alternatives indicated in the recipe instead.

Ingredients

  • 1 small head broccoli (, cut into bite-size florets)
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
  • 2 cloves garlic (, minced)
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 1/2 white onion (, sliced)
  • 2 carrots (, sliced)
  • 4 oz (113 g) mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 8 oz (227 g) can bamboo shoots, drained
  • 1 cup snow peas
  • 1 small bell pepper (, sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fermented black beans ((or Doubanjiang, or Sui Mi Ya Cai, or 1/4 teaspoon of salt) (*Footnote 1))
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth ((or water))
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

  1. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl
  2. Add 1/4 cup water into a large nonstick skillet (or a wok) and heat over medium high heat, until water is boiling. Spread the broccoli in the skillet and cover it. Let cook until it just starts to get tender, 1 minute or so. Transfer broccoli to a plate. Wipe the remaining water with a few paper towels held in a pair of tongs.
  3. Add the oil and turn to high heat. Add garlic and ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
  4. Add the onion, carrot, and mushroom. Cook and stir for 1 minute, until the veggies just start to turn tender.
  5. Add the bamboo shoots and bell pepper. Stir and cook for another minute, until all the veggies turn tender but are still crisp. Add back the cooked broccoli.
  6. Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour sauce into pan. Quickly stir a few times to mix well.
  7. Remove pan from stove and carefully taste the vegetables. To adjust seasoning, add a pinch of salt and stir to mix well again, if needed. Transfer everything to a big plate immediately.
  8. Serve hot as a side dish.