V2. Garlic Vegetable, Spicy Recipe

Wash and cut broccoli into bite-size florets. Peel and thinly slice the carrot on the bias. Trim snap peas and thinly slice the red bell pepper and onion. Mince the garlic and ginger. Thinly slice scallions, separating whites and greens if desired.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, vegetable stock (or water), crushed red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper until sugar dissolves. In a separate tiny bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of cold water; set aside.

Heat the pan

Place a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add the neutral oil and swirl to coat. When oil shimmers, add the minced garlic and minced ginger (reserve a small pinch of garlic for garnish if you like) and stir-fry for 15–20 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Aromatics and firm vegetables

Add the onion whites (if separated), carrot slices and broccoli florets. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes, tossing constantly so garlic doesn't burn. If using a wok, keep vegetables moving to get slight charring but still crisp-tender.

Add remaining vegetables

Add red bell pepper and snap peas and continue stir-frying 1–2 minutes until vegetables are bright and crisp-tender. Toss in half of the sliced scallion whites/greens.

Add sauce

Pour the prepared sauce over the vegetables and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then add the cornstarch slurry and stir until sauce thickens slightly and becomes glossy, about 30–45 seconds. If sauce becomes too thick, add an extra tablespoon of water or stock to reach desired consistency.

Finish

Stir in sesame oil for flavor, taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, soy sauce or crushed red pepper if you want more heat. Remove from heat. Toss in remaining scallion greens.

Transfer the garlic spicy vegetables to a serving platter or bowls. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and cilantro leaves over the top. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side and steamed rice or noodles, if desired.

Leftovers: cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat briefly in a skillet over medium heat to preserve texture.