This vegetable stir-fry sings with so much flavor, you'll forget all about its amazing health benefits. Using a good stir-fry sauce one of the keys to creating a great veggie stir-fry; the other is in the stir-frying - knowing when to add what. At the same time, this recipe is pretty forgiving - you can add your own choice of vegetables, depending on what you have on hand. The tofu topping is delicious, but optional - if you just want vegetables, you'll still get a great stir-fry out of this recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!
Prep Time: 16 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 34 minutes
Yield: SERVES 3-4 with rice
Ingredients:
- 12-oz/350g. tofu medium firmness (about 2.5 cups cubed)
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped purple OR white onion
- 1 medium carrot, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, sliced thickly
- 1.5 to 2 cups broccoli florets
- 6-7 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1.5 to 2 cups baby bok choy OR regular chopped green cabbage
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup vegetable stock
- 3/4 cup white flour
- STIR-FRY SAUCE:
- 4 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce (available in the Asian section of most supermarkets)
- 2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce(available in the Asian section of most supermarkets)
- 1 tsp. rice vinegar OR regular white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. sherry OR cooking sherry
- TOFU MARINADE:
- 3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
Preparation:
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the 'Tofu Marinade' until sugar dissolves. Cut the tofu into 1 to 1.5-inch cubes or rectangles and add to the sauce, gently turning to saturate. Set in the refrigerator.
- Combine 'STIR-FRY SAUCE' ingredients together in a cup and set aside. Chop all your vegetables, keeping them separate so you can add them at different times. Set aside.
- Distribute flour over a large dinner plate. Remove tofu from refrigerator and gently turn each piece in the flour. Let tofu remain sitting in the flour.
- Heat a small to medium-size frying pan over high heat. Add 5-6 Tbsp. oil. When oil is hot, add the floured tofu cubes. Fry 1 minute, then turn tofu for 1 more minute or until medium-browned on both sides. Remove tofu from oil and set on paper towel to drain. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue frying until all tofu is cooked. Reserve fried tofu on a pan in a warm oven.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. oil and swirl around, then add the onion and garlic. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add carrot and celery + 2 Tbsp. vegetable stock, and stir-fry 2 minutes.
- Add broccoli + 2 Tbsp. stock. Stir-fry 1 minute, then add 2 Tbsp. stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry 1 more minute, then add mushrooms and all remaining stock. Stir-fry 1 minute.
- Add boy choy (or cabbage), red pepper, and all remaining stir-fry sauce, stirring everything together until vegetables are bright and cooked but still retain some crispness (1.5 to 2 minutes). Remove from heat and taste-test. Add a little lime or lemon juice if too salty or sweet for your taste, or more soy sauce if not salty enough. Some fresh-cut chili or chili flakes can be added for more spice.
- To serve, transfer vegetables onto a serving plate or individual plates or bowls. Tip the pan to drizzle remaining sauce over, then top with the warm tofu. Serve with Thai jasmine rice, and ENJOY!.
