Vietnamese Stir-fried Beef with Tonkin Flowers
Stir-fried beef with Tonkin flowers is a distinctive and savory dish in Vietnamese cuisine. This quick and easy dish features tender beef slices tossed with the unique edible flowers of Indo-China.
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 446kcal
Ingredients
- 10 oz beef, thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, divided
- 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (plus more for serving)
- 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cooking oil (plus more for stir-frying)
- 8 oz Tonkin flowers
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce (or soy sauce)
Instructions
- Place beef in a mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, cornstarch and water. Toss to combine, then mix in 1½ teaspoons cooking oil. Set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
- Place a large pot filled with water over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, and then add the Tonkin flowers. Blanch the flowers for a minute or slightly more. Remove them from the pot and give them a rinse under cold water. Set aside to drain.
- Place a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add cooking oil to coat the bottom. Add the beef in a single layer and let them cook undisturbed briefly for about 20-30 seconds. Then add the oyster sauce, and stir-fry for a few more seconds and transfer to a plate while the beef is still slightly pink.
- Add more cooking oil to the pan if needed. Adjust the heat to medium and add the remaining garlic. Sauté briefly until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the blanched Tonkin flowers. Stir and toss to cook for about 1-2 minutes until the doneness is almost to your liking. Season with ⅛ teaspoon salt.
- Return the beef to the pan. Stir and toss until both the beef and flowers are cooked through. Add the fish sauce (or soy sauce) and give everything a final stir. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with more black pepper before serving.
Notes
Unless you have a wok and a high-powered stove like in commercial kitchens, I recommend not skipping Step 2 (blanching the flowers). If we don't blanch them, it will take longer to stir-frying them, making them lose the vibrant green color.
Nutrition
Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 817mg | Potassium: 652mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 2209IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg