Veggies In Hot & Sweet Sauce

When the temperature drops down, hearty Chinese food becomes a lot more appealing. I was craving for Chinese food for few days. So we decided to break the rule of not eating outside before Friday and went to check this near by Chinese cum Cantonese restaurant. It was quite hard to find not even a single vegetarian meal (except for rice) on their menu. Believe me the word ‘vegetarian’ for them meant …no red meat.

While returning back, I realised that I needed to buy few things before I could go home and cook some Chinese myself. Again, one more rule of mine was broken…no unnecessary trips to Checkers. I keep accumulating so many things in my pantry that I forget to use them. Hubby was supportive by saying that I need not think too much about these rules. But I strictly bought only what was required. Soya sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil….that’s it.

Also, this was the first time that I cooked Brussels sprouts. I loved it so much…much better than eating cabbage. All the inner layers were soaked in the sauce and it was perfect. We enjoyed our wintry evening with a plate of rice and hot and sweet veggies in Chinese brown sauce.





Ingredients for the sauce

Dark soya sauce 2 teaspoons
Brown sugar 1 teaspoon
Cornstarch 4 teaspoons
Salt ½ teaspoon
Water 5 tablespoons


Other Ingredients

Medium sized chopped onion 1
Red Chilli peppers 4-5
Garlic cloves 4-5
Ginger 1 medium piece
Chopped veggies – baby corn, zucchini, Brussels sprout, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots
Sesame oil 3 tablespoons








Method

Blanch the vegetables briefly in a pan filled with water and salt. Allow veggies in the hot water till they're cooked but not fully cooked….slightly tender but crisp. Add a pinch of salt to the water before you put veggies into it. This helps in killing any enzymes present. As soon as the vegetables are done, remove and run them under cold water.

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients required for making sauce. Set it aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a non stick pan. Add chopped ginger, ginger, and red chilli peppers. Fry till the aroma is released.

Add chopped onions and fry it till translucent.

Pour the sauce and cook for some time. Add more water if it becomes too starchy.

Once you get the saucy texture, add the vegetables. Cook for few minutes.

Remove the pan from the fire. Sprinkle some sesame oil on top of it and serve it with hot rice.