I finally found the perfect option for fast, delicious and very healthy dishes — this is Thai cuisine. I suggest starting with one of the simplest and most delicious dishes — broccoli in oyster sauce.
I will say right away — the recipe does not pretend to be perfect, since it had its own components in every cafe. Moreover, in the same cafe, its taste and ingredients varied depending on which chef there was a shift. But all the options were delicious in their own way. Therefore, I offer you several options, and you will already choose the one you like best.
Ingredients: 1 medium broccoli (about 1 kg), 1 medium carrot, 100 g cashews, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 teaspoons sugar, 4 tablespoons thick oyster sauce, 4 tablespoons water.
The amount is given approximately, since depending on the amount of vegetables and your attitude to sweets, you can vary the amount of water, oyster sauce and sugar.
Preparation. Cut the broccoli into thin slices, and the carrots into small cubes about 0.5 cm thick and 1.5-2 cm long. If there is a curly grater, it is better to use it for slicing carrots. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them with a knife.
Heat up a wok or frying pan, add sesame oil, garlic, broccoli and carrots. Pass it all for just a couple of minutes. Then add nuts, oyster sauce, a little water and sugar. Mix everything well and cook for another two to three minutes. You taste it and add the ingredient that is not enough for your taste (a lot of sauce, sugar or water). Turn it off and immediately serve.
Vegetables should turn out stir fry — in no case stewed, soft or fried. They should turn out slightly puffed and crispy. If you look at the appearance, then broccoli should turn bright green, and carrots should turn orange. During cooking, you can try and immediately remove from the heat as soon as you feel that the vegetables have become softer.
And now about the variations! I like the carrot and cashew option the most. Sometimes it is made only from broccoli and garlic. The sauce always remains the same, only the vegetables change. A few more options: broccoli and onions (onions are added at the very end, as they should remain a little crispy), broccoli, carrots and onions.
Sesame oil can be bought in any large supermarket, oyster sauce — in Asian cuisine departments (all for sushi) or in separate small shops that sell goods for Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisine.
This dish is liked even by those who do not really like vegetables. If you are a fan of spicy, you can add sliced hot pepper during cooking and take it out just a few minutes after the start of cooking. Or not to make a mistake (hot pepper is different) — add a little dry cayenne pepper at the very end.
And once again I repeat: Thai cuisine is a bottomless well of delicious and healthy ideas. So we will experiment with local products ;)
