A lot of talk in the food world centers around words like “authentic” and “traditional.” But those can be tricky to define—especially for a cuisine that has traveled and evolved as much as Chinese food in the states. Chinese immigrants adapted their traditional dishes to what was available in their new home. And as they began to open restaurants, they made still further tweaks to suit local tastes. At this point Chinese American food is wholly its own cuisine. So while you may not find this Chinese American Stir-Fry in China, you can rest assured that it’s still authentically delicious. It’s also easy to prepare and makes good use of ingredients you probably already have. It’s a wonderful way to get more veggies on your plate. Best of all, you can have this Chinese American stir-fry on the table faster than you can order takeout, so let’s get into it.
Americanized Chinese food will always have a sweet place in my heart. After all, I met my husband working at one of the first modern Chinese restaurants in Chicago. Ben Pao, may she rest in peace, was fun, sophisticated, and consistently delicious. But our bread and butter were lively Midwesterners looking for recognizable dishes, not Chinese tourists looking for a taste of home. So less chicken feet and congee, and more pan fried sea scallops and cocktails. In that spirit, this Chinese American Stir Fry makes the most of common American veggies that you will find in any grocery store.
Like most stir fries, the bulk of the work here is on the front end. The sauce gets quickly whipped up, and the veggies get prepped. Then everything gets cooked quickly over high heat. If you’ve ever seen a Chinese kitchen, you’ll notice that in addition to the woks, there are bubbling cauldrons of boiling water. That’s because most vegetables are first blanched before they are finished in the wok. That quick blanch in boiling water helps veggies get that crisp tender texture and boosts their beautiful color. We mimic that technique here by first blanching the broccoli and carrots.
What distinguishes this as an American style stir fry in my mind is the abundance of sauce. Every Chinese restaurant in America has a “brown sauce”. It’s an all purpose stir fry sauce used in dishes like Beef and Broccoli. It’s deeply savory, with a nice balance between salty and tangy. Mine has some heavy hitter ingredients like Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce, toasted sesame oil, and oyster sauce. (To keep this dish vegan, feel free to use vegetarian oyster sauce.) A little cornstarch helps to thicken the sauce so it clings to your veggies and gives it an appetizing glossy finish.
Whisk together until the corn starch if fully dissolved:
Now that the sauce is ready, it’s time to prep the veggies for Chinese American Stir-fry.
Then blanche the florets and sliced carrot in boiling water for 1 minute, and drain.
While they are draining, prep the rest of the veggies. I start by peeling and thinly slicing the onion:
Now that all your veggies are prepped it’s time to cook! Use a large pan or a wok pan and heat the pan over high heat before starting. Keep everything handy because things move fast in a stir-frying situation…
And now your Chinese American Stir-Fry is done! Enjoy it as a quick healthy side, or serve it over rice for a complete meatless meal.
I hope you love this simple and wholesome Chinese American Stir-fry, give it a try and let me know what you think. And don’t forget to tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations! Want to recreate more of your Chinese restaurant faves at home? Check out our Broccoli Beef, Char Siu Pork, or Egg Drop Soup; all guaranteed to be authentically satisfying.
Chinese American Stir Fry
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 2
- Category: small plates, sides
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, finely minced
- ½ onion
- 1 head broccoli florets, (about 2 cups)
- 1 carrot
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms
- 1 medium zucchini
- 2 handfuls spinach, (about 1.5 ounces)
“Brown Sauce”:
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce (vegetarians can use either vegetarian oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine - 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- A couple dashes of ground white pepper
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, water, and cornstarch together with a whisk or fork until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Cut the broccoli into small florets. Trim the carrot and then peel it. Cut the carrot on an angle in thin ¼” slices.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and carrots and boil for 1 minute. Drain the veggies in a colander. Let the water finish draining and then set aside.
- Peel the onion and then thinly slice. Set aside.
- Cut the hard woody stems off of the shiitakes and then cut them in half or into thick slices if they are large. Set aside.
- Trim the zucchini and cut it in half lengthwise. Then slice the zucchini on an angle in ¼ inch pieces. Set aside.
- Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat. (You can also use a wok or wok pan). Add the oil and onions and cook for 1 minute, moving the onions constantly. Add the ginger, and the garlic. Stir fry for 10 seconds. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, and carrots. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, moving the vegetables around with chopsticks or a wooden spoon. The veggies should be crisp tender.
- Add the spinach and the stir fry sauce and continue to cook for 1 minute until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats all of the vegetables.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Notes
*This Stir Fry is incredibly flexible. You can truly use whatever vegetables you like or need to use up. Look for a variety of colors and textures for the best results. You will need about 4 cups of vegetables.
Keywords: veggies, stir fry, chinese, vegan, takeout
