A colorful Chinese style detox stir fry that features crisp celery, flavorful fried tofu, crunchy mushrooms and tender glass noodles stir fried together with a savory sauce. It is a satisfying vegetarian dish that is super nutritious and filling. {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}
This Chinese detox stir fry was a dish I learned from my confinement nanny during my 60-day postpartum period. She cooks great Cantonese food and took care of me while I was recovering. And this was one of the dishes I enjoyed a lot and would love to share with you.
I was in pretty bad shape the month after giving birth (more stories will come later). With no family and friends around, our nanny was a godsend. One thing that I found my confinement nanny was really good at, was that she could whip up a few colorful dishes no matter what I had in the fridge. And this Chinese detox stir fry is a great example of how you can make a dish that is full of texture and flavor if you keep a few pantry ingredients at home.
Chinese detox stir fry ingredients
Dried lily flower
Dried lily flower, or Huang Hua Cai (黄花菜), are dried unopened flowers of the daylily plant. They have an earthy, woody and smoky aroma. Once rehydrated, they become tender and have a slightly crunchy texture. It’s a key ingredient for making hot and sour soupand we like to use them in stew, sauce, soup and stir fry to add umami and texture.
You can usually find them in Chinese grocery stores, but these days you can also find them on Amazon.
Dried wood ear mushrooms
Dried wood ear mushrooms, or Mu Er (木耳) is a type of fungus that’s commonly used in Chinese cooking. It has a crunchy texture once rehydrated and a very mild taste. It’s often used to add texture to a dish because it doesn’t have much in the way of flavor.
Tofu puffs (deep fried tofu)
Tofu puffs (豆泡, or deep fried tofu) are fried tofu pieces that have a spongy texture and golden surface. In Chinese Buddist cooking, fried tofu is usually used as a meat alternative to make a dish vegetarian. Because of its porous texture, it will absorb tons of flavor from the sauce or broth it’s cooked in. It works like magic with veggies, both in stir fried dishes and in stews.
You can usually find tofu puffs at Asian markets. They are either in the refrigerated section near the other tofu products or in the freezer. You can store them in the fridge for a week or two, but they’ll stay good for months in the freezer.
Set up
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Rehydrated and cut wood ear mushrooms
- Rehydrated lily flowers
- Soaked mung bean noodles
- Sliced carrot and celery
- Sliced tofu puffs
- Mixed sauce
- Sliced ginger
Most of the ingredients, including the dried goods and the sauces, are pantry staples. And you only need very few fresh ingredients for a plate of hearty stir fry.
Ingredients such as lily flowers, wood ear mushrooms, celery and carrots are considered highly nutritious and rich in fiber, which is important for detoxing. They are also popular ingredients in postpartum care to help the body recover and get rid of impurities.
How to make Chinese detox stir fry
To make the Chinese detox stir fry:
- Gently saute the ginger to release its fragrance.
- Cook the lily flower and wood ear mushrooms.
- Stir fry the celery and carrot.
- Add the tofu puffs, mung bean noodles and sauce. Mix together.
That’s all!
The crisp veggies, crunchy mushrooms, chewy tofu puffs and tender noodles work together to create this very satisfying meal that is so nutritious. I like to serve it over steamed rice for a vegetarian meal.
Other delicious vegetarian recipes
Chinese Detox Stir Fry
Servings: 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients
Stir fry
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1/2 thumb ginger julienned
- 1 (60 g) small carrot julienned (yield 1/2 cup once sliced)
- 3 (140 g) celery stalks cut into 2” (5 cm) long 1/4” (6 mm) thick sticks (yields about 1 1/2 cups after cutting)
- 1 cup (40 g) deep fried tofu puffs halved (Footnote 1)
Instructions
Soak the dried ingredients
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Prepare the dried lily flowers and wood ear mushrooms: Place each ingredient in a separate medium-sized bowl and pour boiling water on top to cover by at least 1” (2.5 cm). Press the ingredients down to submerge into the water. Rehydrate for 15 minutes, until they turn soft throughout.
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After the lily flowers turn soft, remove the tough ends if needed (*Footnote 2). If the lily flowers are very long, cut them in half lengthwise. Drain and set aside. Measure out 3/4 cup of the soaking water for later use.
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For the wood ear mushrooms, once rehydrated, cut into small bite-sized pieces.
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Place the vermicelli noodles in a medium-sized bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes (or according to the package instructions), until the noodles turn al-dente. Drain and use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the noodles into 2” (5 cm) strands.
To cook the stir fry
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Heat the oil in a large skillet or a wok over medium-high heat. When oil turns hot but not smoking hot, add ginger. Stir a few times until fragrant.
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Add the lily flowers and wood ear mushrooms. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
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Add the carrot and celery. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
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Add the bean thread noodles, fried tofu and pour in the sauce. Cook and stir until the sauce is mostly absorbed and the vegetables just turn tender. Transfer everything to a plate and hot as a main or side dish.
Notes
- You can also use scrambled eggs (2 eggs) to replace the fried tofu and the result is also very delightful.
- Feel the stem end of each lily flower with your fingers. Sometimes the flowers are picked with a small stem section attached to the flower and it can be quite tough to chew on. You should cut off any tough bits with a knife.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 207kcal, Carbohydrates: 27.6g, Protein: 3.2g, Fat: 10.2g, Saturated Fat: 1.7g, Sodium: 450mg, Potassium: 376mg, Fiber: 2.6g, Sugar: 16.2g, Calcium: 84mg, Iron: 1mg
