Dish of Vegetable Stir fry
(click to enlarge)

Vegetable Stir Fry


Vietnam   -   Rau Xao
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 salad
**
40 min
Most		 An excellent vegetable side dish for any cuisine. As given, it's fine for "don't ask, don't tell" vegetarians, but strict vegies will have to use plain salt in place of flavorful fish sauce.

10
6
6
6
5
2
lots
2
1
1-1/2
1/4
1

oz
oz
oz
oz
cl

T
T
T
t
t
Black Mushrooms
Carrots
Cauliflower
Gai Lan (1)
Baby Corn (14 oz)  
Garlic
Water
Oil
Rice Wine (2)
Fish Sauce (3)
Pepper
Rice Vinegar (4)
Prep   -   (35 min - 15 min work)
  1. Boil some Water, let cool a little and pour over MUSHROOMS and WOOD EARS. Let soak until soft, about 30 min. Squeeze out thoroughly and slice Mushrooms in into halves. Remove any hard holdfasts from the Wood Ears.
  2. Cut CARROTS into 1-1/2 inch lengths, then slice lengthwise thin. Break CAULIFLOWER into medium florettes. Cut GAI LAN stems diagonally about 1/8 inch thick, taking also some of the greens. Mix all.
  3. Drain Baby Corn. Cut in half crosswise if too large.
  4. Crush GARLIC and chop fine.
Run   -   (10 min)
  1. Bring plenty of lightly salted Water to a boil. Blanch the Carrot mix for just a minute or so, refresh in cold water and drain well.
  2. In a wok or spacious sauté pan, heat Oil and stir fry all the vegetables (including Mushrooms, Fungus and Baby Corn) until Cauliflower is crisp tender. Err on the crisp side, about 5 minutes total. Half way through, pour in the Rice Wine. When nearly done, stir in Fish Sauce and Garlic. Season with Salt and Pepper. If serving cool, stir in the Rice Vinegar.
  3. Serve hot or cool.
NOTES:

  1. Gai Lan / Chinese Broccoli:

      If you can't get this, Rappini (Broccoli Rabe) stems can be used instead. For details see our Cabbage Greens page.

  2. Rice Wine:

      Use a good, drinkable Chinese rice wine, not that horrid salted "cooking" version. If you don't have this, use a Dry Sherry. Sake is made from rice but is not considered a good substitute, its beer, not wine. For details see our Chinese Rice Wine page.

  3. Fish Sauce:

      This clear liquid is as essential to Southeast Asian cuisine as it was to Imperial Rome. If you are unfamiliar with it, see our Fish Sauce - Introduction page.

  4. Rice Vinegar:

      This can be omitted if served warm, but is important if served cool.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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