Getting prepped up front is the key to success when it comes to a stir-fry. It might seem stage-y, but when you combine all the different elements in one joyful bowl at the end you'll be so pleased you went to all that effort. Also, everything here is quick to do, so it's not a long one in terms of total time. You can use tofu or chicken if you prefer. Stir-frying is a simple cooking technique to learn – the most important thing is not to overcrowd the pan, and I recommend cooking in batches of no more than two servings at a time.
Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
1
Difficulty
Easy
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Ingredients
soy sauce 1 tbsp
cornflour ½ tsp
lime ½ (juice & wedges)
ginger 15 g (sliced)
garlic cloves 1 (sliced)
red chillies ¼ (sliced)
spring onions 2 (sliced)
fresh coriander 3 sprig (leaves picked)
carrot ½ (sliced)
mangetout 50 g
white cabbage 40 g (shredded)
bell pepper ½ (sliced)
firm tofu 100 g (sliced)
vegetable oil 1 tbsp
straight to wok noodles 125 g
Method
Make the glaze by mixing the soy sauce and cornflour together with the juice of 1⁄2 the lime half and 1 tablespoon of water**, and set aside.
Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic. Finely slice the red chilli. Trim and finely slice the spring onions (or peel and finely slice the red onion). Pick the coriander leaves and reserve for later, then finely chop the stalks.
Peel, trim and finely slice the veg into finger-sized strips, where appropriate. Slice the carrot, mangetout and cabbage.
Now prep your protein. If using firm tofu, drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper, then cut into 2cm cubes. Wash your hands. If using chicken trim away any excess fat and slice into strips the size of your little finger.
Place a wok or large frying pan on a high heat. Once it's very hot, add 1⁄2 a tablespoon of oil and swirl it around the pan. Add the protein and stir-fry for 2 minutes or so until it begins to brown all over (tofu takes longer to brown on all sides, for 3 to 4 minutes).
Add the ginger, garlic, red chilli, spring onion (or red onion) and coriander stalks, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the veg and stir-fry for 2 more minutes, then add the straight to wok noodles, and keep stir-frying until hot through.
Push the contents of the pan to one side to make an empty space in the base of the pan. Pour in the glaze and allow to bubble, then toss everything together until all the protein and veg are coated.
Use the tongs to transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate, scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with a limewedge for squeezing.
