Saucy Vegetable Stir Fry
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
5 mins
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Total Time
15 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
95 kcal
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Course
Side Dish, Main Course
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Cuisine
Chinese
Saucy Vegetable Stir Fry
Description
This recipe uses vegetable oil to stir fry diced garlic and ginger briefly, followed by adding sliced onions, carrot, capsicum, and the stems of bok choy. Mushrooms are introduced later to cook less before the sauce—a mixture of corn starch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil, white pepper, and water—is poured in. The sauce mixes and thickens quickly, coating the vegetables and enriching their natural flavors.
The method separates bok choy leaves from stems to manage cooking time, preserving the stems' crispness and leaves’ tenderness. The vegetables remain vibrantly colored and retain a slight crunch, creating a textured contrast. The stir fry uses light soy sauce rather than dark soy sauce to maintain a balanced flavor without overpowering bitterness.
The dish is ideal served over rice or a low-carb alternative such as cauliflower rice. Optional garnishes like green onion and sesame seeds add mild aromatic notes and texture contrast to finish the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic finely chopped, cloves
- 1 tbsp ginger , finely sliced (optional)
- 1/2 onion , peeled and sliced
- 1 carrot , large
- 3 bok choy or other leafy greens of choice (Note 1, medium
- 1 cup mushrooms , sliced 3mm / 1/8" thick
- 1 capsicum , sliced 1/2cm / 1/5" thick
Sauce (or use 4 tbsp Charlie, Note 4):
- 1 tbsp corn starch or cornflour
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce , light or all purpose (not dark soy) (Note 2)
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine Note 3, or Mirin
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- white pepper or black, dash
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml water
Garnishes, optional:
- green onion finely sliced
- sesame seeds
Instructions
Vegetable Prep:
- Carrot: cut in half lengthwise then diagonally sliced 2mm / 1/10" thick
- Buk Choy (Note 1): Trim base off, then cut leaves off the stem. Cut the stem lengthwise into 1cm / 2/5" wide pieces. Keep leaves separate from stems, they will be cooked at different times.
Sauce (Charlie - Note 4):
- Place cornflour and soy sauce in a bowl and mix until cornflour is dissolved, then mix in remaining Sauce ingredients.
Cooking:
- Heat oil in a wok or large heavy based skillet over high heat.
- Add garlic and ginger, stir for 10 seconds. Add onion, stir for 30 seconds.
- Add carrot, capsicum and stems of buk choy - stir for 1 minute.
- Add mushrooms, then stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables are almost cooked.
- Add Sauce and toss for 1 minute until Sauce thickens and becomes glossy, coating all the vegetables. Don't overcook so they become floppy and limp - they should be just cooked, "crisp tender".
- Remove from stove and serve over rice (low carb option: cauliflower rice). Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if using. A big dollop of chilli sauce wouldn't go astray either!
Notes
- Bok choy stems take longer to cook than leaves; separate and add leaves later to maintain texture.
- Use light or all-purpose soy sauce; avoid dark soy sauce to prevent overpowering bitterness.
- Chinese cooking wine adds depth but can be substituted with mirin or dry sherry.
- "Charlie" is an all-purpose stir fry sauce; it can replace the sauce mixture with adjusted starch and water amounts.
- Ensure vegetables stay crisp-tender by not overcooking once sauce is added.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 95 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 95cal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 11g | 4% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Sodium | 531mg | 22% |
| Potassium | 265mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 7251IU | 145% |
| Vitamin C | 79mg | 88% |
| Calcium | 104mg | 10% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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