A beautiful Southeast Asian cuisine-inspired side dish that pairs well with chicken and seafood! Yes, we are talking about our Tenderstem Broccoli Stir Fry With Oyster Sauce! Here, we will talk you through the steps of how to stir fry tenderstem broccoli and coat it in sauce to infuse this vegetable with delicious flavours in less than 15 minutes!
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But What Is Tenderstem Broccoli?
Tenderstem broccoli is a slender and delicate vegetable, a hybrid between Chinese kale and broccoli, boasting a unique taste and texture compared to regular broccoli. It's a great source of vitamins such as C and K, offering a nutritious addition to any meal with its tender stems and florets.
And there are plenty of methods for cooking tenderstem broccoli below:
Ingredients and Substitutes
- neutral oil: use cooking oil with high smoke point, like avocado or canola oil. You can add a drop of sesame oil too for extra flavour.
- tenderstem broccoli: aka broccolini.
- garlic cloves: use fresh garlic (not garlic powder).
- oyster sauce: stir-fried tenderstem broccoli also works exceptionally well with Teriyaki sauce and Chow Main sauce.
- spring onions: also known as green onions or scallions.
- cashew nuts: can be replaced with a handful of peanuts or even sesame seeds.
Variations: If you are looking for a bit of heat in your stir-fry, add a little bit of red chilli flakes or a teaspoon sriracha (or another hot sauce). You can also add a bunch of your other favourite vegetables to this stir-fry, including sugar snap peas, baby sweetcorn and bell peppers.
Let's Make Tenderstem Broccoli Stir Fry
Wash your tenderstem broccoli under cold water. Cut off any woody bottoms of the long stems. Thinly slice the garlic cloves and spring onion. Now you're ready to cook!
STEP 1: Stir Fry Tenderstem Broccoli
Heat oil in a large wok or a large frying pan. Once hot, add the tenderstem broccoli and stir fry over high heat for 4-5 minutes. Your broccoli should start to soften and brown.
STEP 2: Add Aromatics & Sauce
Reduce the heat and add the garlic, spring onions (reserve ⅓ for garnish) and cashew nuts and carry on stirring for a couple of minutes over medium heat.
Pour in the sauce, stir to coat and carry on cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce reduces and your stir-fried tenderstem broccoli becomes sticky.
STEP 3: Garnish & Serve
Serve tenderstem broccoli with oyster sauce garnished with spring onion and some red pepper flakes if you wish.
What To Serve Stir-Fried Broccoli With?
Stir-fried tenderstem broccoli is a great side dish for many Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes. Serve it with Chinese Salt & Pepper Chicken or Vietnamese Pork Burger. Alternatively, try it with Korean-inspired Tofu Bulgogi or Sticky Shiitake Mushrooms.
But don't reserve this dish for Asian fakeaway meals! It actually goes surprisingly well with Panko Crusted Chicken or Panko Fish, as well as simple Lemon Baked Salmon! Or simply serve it atop a bowlful of sticky rice.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, tenderstem broccoli is best enjoyed al dente - with a bit of crunch and texture, so there is no need to par-boil it. It softens enough in the pan. You can also Griddle/ Chargrill Tenderstem Broccoli without boiling it first.
You can leave your tenderstem broccoli stems whole, but we like to cut each crossway into 2-3 to make it easier to stir-fry.
It should take about 8-10 mins. We stir-fry tenderstem broccoli on its own for 4-5 minutes before adding the aromatics and sauce and then cook it for another 3-4 minutes to become sticky. If you are cooking without sauce, you may need to reduce the heat slightly to prevent the broccoli from burning, and stir fry it with a little oil for 8-10 minutes or until softened to your liking.
More Asian-Style Side Dishes To Try
Wondering what to cook next! Try our Stir-Fried Savoy Cabbage With Chilli and Garlic! Som more ideas below:
Tenderstem Broccoli Stir Fry With Oyster Sauce
Equipment
- Large Frying Pan or Large Wok
Ingredients
- 200 g (0.5 lb) tenderstem broccoli (aka broccolini) cut into 2-3 crossways
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 garlic clove thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 spring onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon cashew nuts or 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large frying pan or a large wok. Once hot, add the tenderstem broccoli and stir-fry over high heat for 4-5 minutes, until it starts to soften and brown.
- Add the garlic and spring onions (reserve some for garnish) and stir fry for another minute.
- Turn the heat down to medium, tip in the oyster sauce and cashew nuts and mix to coat. Stirring often, cook the tenderstem broccoli for another 2-3 minutes, until sticky and reduced.
- Serve garnished with spring onion!
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