New Firecracker Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Trim the mangetout and rinse well. Thinly slice the red and yellow bell peppers into strips about 1/4 inch wide. Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Thinly slice the fresh red chillies (remove seeds if you prefer less heat). Slice the garlic cloves finely and julienne the ginger. Slice spring onions on the diagonal and roughly chop the cilantro. Set all prepared vegetables aside in bowls so cooking is quick.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, chili garlic sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds until honey dissolves and sauce is uniform. Taste and adjust heat or sweetness as needed.

Stir-fry aromatics

Heat a large wok or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the neutral oil and swirl to coat. Immediately add the sliced garlic, ginger and half the sliced fresh red chillies. Stir constantly for 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned (watch the garlic carefully).

Cook vegetables

Add the sliced red and yellow bell peppers and red onion. Stir-fry on high for 1 minute to start softening. Add the mangetout and continue to stir-fry for 1–2 more minutes — you want the mangetout crisp-tender with bright color. Add the remaining sliced chillies and spring onions in the last 30 seconds to preserve freshness.

Combine with sauce

Pour the prepared sauce over the vegetables, toss continuously for 30–45 seconds so the sauce coats everything and just starts to reduce and glaze the veg. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle the sesame oil over the top and give a final toss.

Turn off heat. Transfer the stir-fry to a serving platter or bowls. Sprinkle chopped cilantro, toasted sesame seeds and crushed roasted peanuts (if using) over the top. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side to squeeze over before eating.