Chili Garlic Mixed Vegetables

A variety of vegetables go into this Chinese-style recipe that’s great on the side with chapatis or fried rice. Chili garlic mixed vegetables is cooked on high heat  (using the Chao technique, or so Wikipedia tells me), which retains the texture and color of the vegetables. The dish gets its zing – and its name – from the pre-made chili garlic sauce that’s added to it.

You Need:

• Paneer (cottage cheese) – 100 grams
• Boiled sweet corn – 100 grams
• Tomatoes – 2
• Capsicum (bell pepper) – 100 grams
• Cauliflower – 100 grams
• Beans – 100 grams
• Onion – 1
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Salt – to taste
• Chili garlic sauce – 2 tablespoons: I used Lee Kum Lee’s chili garlic sauce that we’d brought back from Hong Kong
• Tomato ketchup -  1 teaspoon: I used good old Maggi tomato ketchup
• Oil – 1 tablespoon

How To Make Chili Garlic Mixed Vegetables:

Crush garlic. Chop onions into 1/2 inch cubes.

Cut beans and bell peppers into 1-inch sticks, and cauliflower into bite-sized florets.

Cut the paneer into 1/2 inch cubes, and each tomato into 16 pieces (cross-wise quarters from top to tip, then 4 slices horizontally).

If using frozen sweet corn, thaw it to room temperature.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet or kadhai. On high heat, add garlic and onions and fry till translucent. Tip in chopped beans and cauliflower florets.

Stir-fry for 5 minutes, then add chopped tomatoes and bell peppers.

Mix well. Add boiled sweet corn next.

Stir fry for another 5 minutes.

We’ve got all the vegetables nearly cooked by now – it’s time for the condiments.

Add to the pan two tablespoons of chili garlic sauce and a teaspoon of tomato ketchup.

Mix well and cook for 2 minutes, then add paneer cubes and salt to taste.

Combine everything together, then turn off the heat.

Chili garlic mixed vegetables, with fried rice.

Notes:

After adding paneer and salt, you’ll find that the vegetables start releasing some moisture. Do NOT extend cooking time to let the moisture evaporate – this will cause the vegetables to overcook and turn mushy, and we don’t want that. Instead, follow these tips to avoid soggy chili garlic mixed vegetables: add salt only towards the very end, and stir-fry on high heat throughout.

Try other recipes too that use a medley of vegetables and condiments: adzuki bean salad with pears and feta cheese, broccoli and red pepper with Indian spices, sabziwale rajma.