Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry

The first rule of stir fries is to make sure all of the ingredients are cut into similar-sized pieces. In this case, I have long, slender peas, slices of bell pepper and halved baby corn. See how all of them are similar in shape and size?

The second rule is to know which vegetables take the longest to cook. The bell peppers will take longer to cook, then the peas, then the baby corn (which already comes cooked in the can).

The third rule is to NOT add the garlic/ginger too early in the game. You see, the red bell peppers need high heat and a couple minutes in the pan to cook through. If you add the garlic/ginger first, they’ll most definitely burn. So, I add the garlic/ginger AFTER the bell peppers are done.

1. Heat a wok or saute pan (saute pan has higher sides than a frying pan) over medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot, swirl in the cooking oil. Add the bell peppers and fry for 1 minute. The peppers will start to soften and edges will begin to have that lovely char.

2. Next, add the peas, the garlic and the ginger and give it a good tossing in the pan. Go for 1 minute.

3. Now add the baby corn and toss everything together.

4. Pour in the beer/broth, soy sauce and season with pepper. When the mixture starts bubbling a bit, cover with a lid for 30 seconds. This will finish steaming the peas.

That’s it!