Recipe video above. The essential ingredient for a great Chop Suey sauce is Chinese cooking wine. All Chinese restaurants use it! See notes for subs if you can't get your hands on it. Veggie loaded, light on the meat, this is healthy and adaptable to whatever you've got in your fridge!
Prep Time9 minutesmins
Cook Time6 minutesmins
Total Time14 minutesmins
Course: Mains, Stir Fry
Cuisine: American Chinese
Keyword: Chicken Stir Fry, Chop Suey
Servings: 2- 3 people
Calories: 298cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
Optional Tenderised Chicken (Note 1):
180g (6oz )chicken breast, thinly sliced
1/2tspbaking soda / bi-carb(optional, Note 1)
Sauce (or use Charlie, Note 2):
1tbspcornflour / corn starch
1 1/2tbsplight soy sauce, or all purpose soy(Note 3)
1/2cupsliced mushrooms(shiitake is authentic, but any will do)
1cupbean sprouts
Instructions
"Velvet" Chicken (optional, Note 1)
Place chicken in a bowl, sprinkle over baking soda. Use your fingers to mix then set aside for 20 minutes, no longer than 30 minutes (can get too tender). Rinse well, pat excess water with paper towels, set aside (see video).
Prep Ingredients:
Sauce: Place cornflour and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix until lump free. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and stir.
Chop choy sum: Trim end off choy sum. Then cut into 7cm (3") pieces. Separate stems from leaves.
Chop carrot - Peel then cut into 3cm (1.3") pieces. Then slice the pieces thinly.
Stir Fry:
Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic, stir quickly, then add onion, Cook for 1 minute, moving constantly, until onion is starting to wilt.
Add chicken, cook for 1 minute until the surface changes from pink to white.
Add choy sum stems, carrot and mushrooms. Stir fry for 1 minute.
Add choy sum leaves, bean sprouts and Sauce. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the Sauce thickens to a thick syrup consistency. Vegetables should still be tender/crisp, not soggy and soft.
Serve immediately with rice (for low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!)
Notes
1. Tenderised Chicken:Read more about Velveting Chicken the Chinese way for ultra tender chicken like you get in Chinese restaurant stir fries. Skip the step if using chicken thigh - it's not needed, it's juicy enough.2. CHARLIE is my All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce. If you haven't met him yet and you love stir fries, you are going to be best friends very soon. Find the recipe for him here, along with how to use him. To use Charlie for this recipe, replace the Sauce with 4 tablespoons of Charlie + 3/4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch + 3/4 cup water.3. LIGHT SOY SAUCE: This is what keeps the sauce colour clear-ish. You can use ordinary all purpose soy sauce and it will pretty much look the same. If you use dark soy sauce, reduce to 1 tbsp - will still be tasty but the sauce will be super dark brown and a stronger soy flavour.4. Oyster sauce - substitute with Vegetarian Oyster Sauce (available at some large grocery stores) for vegetarian / shellfish free option.5. CHINESE COOKING WINE: An essential in Chinese cooking, used by every Chinese restaurant. Read more here.Substitutions: dry sherry or Mirin, followed by Japanese cooking Sake.Non alcoholic: Use chicken broth instead of water in the Sauce. 6. No need to marinate the chicken for this recipe because it's sliced thinly and there's plenty of sauce!7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 2 servings. It's 2 very generous servings, with enough vegetables for a meal - you won't need a side for this. Excludes rice / noodles. Use low sodium soy sauce to reduce sodium.