Photo: erasmusa / Flickr

In Chinese cooking, small quantities of meat tend to go a long way when stir-fried together with vegetables. Several vegetables with various textures are often used, in which case the firmer textures are cooked first. Preparation time varies according to the ingredients chosen but also the size of pan, intensity of heat and the quantities used. This dish of stir-fried chicken with mixed vegetables should take three quarters of an hour to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.

Ingredients

To prepare a meal for four, you will need the following ingredients, substituting with whatever vegetables are in season: 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, 2 tablespoons of fresh grated ginger, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 375 grams of cubed chicken pieces, 2 peeled onions (chopped into wedges), 2 celery sticks (cut on the diagonal into 1 cm long pieces), 250 grams of broccoli (separate the heads into smaller florets and slice the stems on the diagonal).

You will also need 8 prepared dried Chinese mushrooms, 130 grams of trimmed green beans, 6 spring onions (sliced on the diagonal into 1 cm long pieces), 4 tablespoons of cornflour, 1 cup of water, 45 ml of dry sherry, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of chicken stock powder and 1 small tin of drained baby corn.

Method

To prepare the stir-fried chicken with mixed vegetables, heat the oil in a pan or a wok. Using a high heat, add the garlic and ginger, followed by the cubed chicken and stir for a minute. Add the celery, onions and broccoli stalks next and stir for another minute. Add the mushrooms, spring onion and beans and stir fry for a further minute. Add the broccoli florets and stir fry.

Mix the cornflour with a small amount of the water, add the rest of the water and stir. Add the chicken stock powder, sherry and soy sauce to the liquid, stir and then pour it into the wok or pan. Bring it to the boil, add the corn and cook for a further 4 minutes before serving with freshly cooked rice.

Tags: cooking, eating healthily, food