Every home chef needs to have a rotation of easy vegetable side dishes to compliment their main course. This is vegetable stir-fry is one I have in my repertoire because it’s fast, easy, and adds a vibrant splash of color to balance out both the visual and health aspects of your meal.
Although simple, this dish is great because the preparation and cooking can be done within fifteen minutes. I usually pair it with Taiwanese Chicken Leg Rice or Taiwanese Pork Lunchbox since it’s easy to whip up while the meat is cooking.
Why this vegetable stir-fry recipe?
Every great main course needs a few side dishes to accompany it; this recipe for homestyle carrots and corn stir-fry makes a versatile option! A lot of Taiwanese meals are centered around a meat dish with several vegetable dishes to complement it. This recipe easily checks off that box while being very visually appealing.
The best part is it’s made from ingredients that can typically be stored for awhile, making the perfect dish to round out your menu if you’re too busy to make a grocery run.
Ingredients and Equipment
The main ingredients for this recipe are in the name: carrot and corn. For both of these, you can choose to either use the fresh, canned, or frozen versions, just remember to adjust cook times as needed. I typically like to used fresh carrot and frozen corn, but that’s just because what I always have at home.
I also like to add in some onion to act as a neutral taste sandwiched between the carrot and corn. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to skip! The dish will still be quite tasty without it.
The seasoning for the recipe is also quite simple – just toss in a little white and black pepper, then top off with some salt! If you’re feeling fancy, you can add in a splash of sesame oil as well, but that’s totally up to you.
In terms of equipment, you’ll just need to have a knife and cutting board, and a pan large enough to stir-fry everything together. As promised, super simple!
Cooking Process
In Taiwanese cooking, order matters a lot. There are two main reasons for this:
- Bringing out the right flavor, and
- Syncing up cook times
Both reasons are relevant for this dish, but the latter reason is more critical to this particular recipe for vegetable stir-fry.
The first thing you’ll want to do is heat up your pan with some oil. If using onions, toss them in now to bring out their flavor (there’s our Reason #1!).
Add the chopped carrots when the onions start to turn translucent. We’ll want to add them in early on especially if using fresh ones since they’ll take awhile to soften up. Add a little water so that vegetables don’t burn, and then cover the pot and let simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the carrot has softened. I like mine with a little crunch to them, so I’m always careful not to let it cook too long.
Once you’re happy with the consistency of the carrots, add in the corn. The corn will cook much faster. Just stir-fry until the vegetables are evenly heated and you’ll be ready to add in the seasoning. If using the sesame oil, remember to reserve that for last and turn off the heat shortly after adding to avoid burning it.
Taste test to your satisfaction, then serve with the main course and enjoy with your charitable bellies!
final thoughts on vegetable stir-fry
Simple and savory – that’s the essence of this quick and easy vegetable stir-fry. Although easy to make, don’t underestimate the value it can add to your table in terms of color chemistry and taste. We hope you’re able to use this homestyle carrot and corn stir-fry for your own cooking rotation at home to add more variety to your menu!
Homestyle Carrot and Corn Stir Fry
Equipment
- 1 large pan or wok
Ingredients
- 1 c carrot chopped squares
- 1 c corn frozen or drained can
- ½ c onion chopped
- ½ t white pepper
- ¼ t salt
- ¼ t black pepper
- ¼ t sesame oil optional
Instructions
- Heat some oil in the pan, then stir-fry the onion until it starts to turn translucent.
- Add in the carrot and toss with the onion until well mixed. Add a little water (around 1-2T), and cover the pot. Continue to cook for about five minutes, until the carrot is cooked to the texture you’d like.
- Remove the lid and add the corn. Continue to stir-fry until all the vegetables are fully heated, then season and remove from heat. Serve hot with rice and other dishes!
