Indian five-spice vegetable stir-fry
This is my go-to recipe on a weekly basis. I tend not to buy ready-mixed bags of stir-fry vegetables – although those are perfectly good for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 2 spring onions, sliced diagonally
- 1 large red chilli, sliced diagonally (seeds in or out depending on how much heat you like)
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú mangetout or sugar snap peas
- 1 courgette, thinly sliced into matchsticks
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú asparagus, woody ends removed, halved and sliced diagonally
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
- 15²µ/½´Ç³ú fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 tsp panch phoran
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. When the oil is really hot, add all the vegetables except the garlic and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the sriracha and fresh coriander to the vegetables and mix through.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden-brown.
Add the Indian five-spice to the garlic and heat over a medium heat for a few seconds, being careful not to burn the spices. Pour the garlic and five-spice mixture over the vegetables and stir through. Serve the stir-fry immediately.
Recipe Tips
Indian five-spice is a special blend of cumin, fenugreek, nigella (black onion) seeds, mustard and fennel seeds, which you can buy already mixed or you can mix yourself. Just use equal parts of everything.