Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry in Peanut Garlic Brown Sauce is easy, healthy meal made of tofu, potato, carrot, Chinese celery, shrimp and ground pork served with sweet brown sauce, crushed peanuts and fresh garlic.
This healthy Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry in Peanut Garlic Brown Sauce is simple to make.
This is a simple dish that you can make in less than an hour. Chinese celery gives this dish it’s distinct flavor. It is aromatic and add zest to the dish. Tofu and Chinese celery complement each other well.
Lately, I’ve been craving for something vegetable. This Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry in Peanut Garlic Brown Sauce definitely satisfied my craving.
This is very similar to the Filipino Lumpiang Sariwa but I am not making it with crepe. If you like, I will add the link and you can get the crepe recipe. With or without crepe, this is delicious. If you have some left over, it is also good as fried eggroll.
You can have a strip down Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry in itself without the fresh garlic, peanuts or brown sauce. But for a savory version, add these 3 ingredients and it is delicious even kids will love it.
This stir-fry is very versatile. If you have peanut sauce that will work too. Just drizzle it over stir-fry.
Make extra servings of stir-fry, make eggrolls and freeze it. Deep fry the following day and I bet you no one will know they had it the previous day. Crispy, crunchy eggrolls will be a hit for sure!
If possible, don’t skip the Chinese celery. It is available in Asian stores. Otherwise, use regular celery leaves or stalk. But it is not the same, I prefer the Chinese celery!
Luckily, I am growing my own Chinese celery. I’ve been looking for seeds for the last few years but I can’t find it. Last fall, I was at the Asian store and noticed they have not completely cut the root section. As soon as I got home, I cut 2 inches and soaked the root section in water.
You can use peanut sauce instead of making brown sauce and the garnish.
After couple days in water, I planted them in my vegetable garden. This spring, it started sprouting new leaves. My vegetable garden is partly shaded by a Thai lime tree.
I’m not sure if Chinese celery prefer full sun, as an experiment I transplanted one. I hope it survives our summer heat.
The other day was my first visit to the Asian store since March. I am replenishing my inventory. I’m trying to avoid making frequent trips to the grocery stores so I buy in bulk.
This is my 3rd time grocery shopping and I am trying to buy everything I need before the State opens. Once I’m stocked up, all I need to buy would be vegetables and fruits every 2 weeks.
If you have read my previous post, I like to clear my freezer but that didn’t happen. My next visit to the Asian store would be mid summer and then another trip before fall. I won’t see them until next year unless I really need a seasoning not available in my local grocer. My Chinese celery better survive our summer.
Use firm tofu when making this dish.
When I was in college, before going to class me and my friends hanged out in a restaurant that served this delicious stir-fry. That was our dinner.
I attended night class not because I was working, I was late in enrolling. In no time, I felt comfortable attending night school. It was more fun. We hang out before class and after 9 pm.
It was my 1st year in college and my parents kept asking me to transfer to an earlier schedule. I kept telling them, there's no available spot in the morning or afternoon class. I lied, never even checked.
Anyway, I finished college attending night school.
Ingredients Used to Make This Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry
Tofu, cubed
Potatoes, cubed
Carrots, julienned
Onion, chopped
Garlic, minced
Shrimp, cut into small pieces
Ground pork or pork cut into small pieces
Chinese celery leaves
Salt or Fish Sauce to Taste
Drizzle brown sauce, fresh garlic and peanuts over tofu veggie stir-fry.
Tips in Making Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry in Peanut Garlic Brown Sauce
Cut tofu and vegetables evenly so they cooked at the same time.
When I stir-fry, I prefer to fry potatoes, carrots and tofu individually.
Potatoes and carrots will not be soggy.
Tofu will have a crispier exterior than soft.
Once all 3 ingredients are stir-fried individually, time to mixed them all up.
But first, saute the onion, garlic, ground pork and shrimp. When shrimp is almost pink, add the potatoes, carrots and tofu.
Simmer for a couple of minutes, season, then add the Chinese celery. Continue cooking for another minute.
Turn off heat.
Before stir-frying, crush garlic and peanuts using a mortar and pestle then place it in separate serving containers.
When preparing the brown sauce, make it thick with cornstarch. Also, crushed garlic and peanuts can be added to the sauce but I prefer to serve it separate so people can choose what to sprinkle on their stir-fry.
Drizzle brown sauce, fresh garlic and peanuts over tofu veggie stir-fry.
Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry in Peanut Garlic Brown Sauce
Ingredients
Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry
- 1 16 oz 1 lb firm tofu cubed
- 2 medium Russet potato cubed
- 1 medium carrot julienned
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 15 - 18 large shrimp cut into small pieces
- ½ pound ground pork or pork cut into small pieces
- 1 cup Chinese celery leaves chopped
- salt or fish sauce to taste
- 3 – 4 tablespoons oil
Brown Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken or pork bouillon
- 2 tablespoons corn starch diluted in 4 tablespoons water
Garnish
- 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts crushed using a mortar and pestle
- 1 head garlic peeled & crushed using a mortar and pestle
Instructions
Make Brown Sauce
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add water, soy sauce, brown sugar and salt.
- Bring to boil. Lower heat to medium-low.
- Stir-in pork or chicken bouillon.
- While stirring constantly, slowly pour cornstarch mixture to thicken sauce.
- Turn off heat and transfer to a small bowl.
Make Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry
- In a skillet over medium heat, fry potatoes until soft. Remove and set aside.
- Fry carrots for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- If using a non-stick skillet, remove some oil and fry tofu. Remove when light brown and set aside.
- Saute onion for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until golden.
- Add ground pork. Cook until pale.
- Stir-in shrimp.
- When shrimp’s color is almost orange, add tofu, potato and carrots.
- Season with salt or fish sauce.
- Stir-in Chinese celery. Cook for another minute.
- Turn off heat.
- Transfer to a serving plate and serve brown sauce, peanuts and fresh garlic on the side.
Video
Notes
- Once brown sauce is thick, you can stir-in crushed fresh garlic and peanuts but I prefer to serve it separately, so people have a choice.
- Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry can be eaten on its own without the crushed fresh garlic, peanuts or brown sauce.
- If you have leftover stir-fry, make it into an eggroll and deep fry.
- If you have peanut sauce, you can drizzle over stir-fry instead of the garnish or brown sauce.
- You can wrap stir-fry in crepe like lumpiang sariwa. Click link for crepe recipe. Scroll down the recipe and follow the ingredients and instructions for the wrapper.
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