Ingredients:-

• Cornstarch- 1Tbs
• Water- 1 Tbs
• Chicken breast- 500 g cut into thin long strips
• Onion -1 large cut into Chinese squares
• Garlic – 5-6 big pods chopped finely
• Mushroom (Cremini, shitaki or straw)- 1/4 C sliced
• Snow peas – a handful blanched
• Carrot- 1 thinly sliced blanched
• Broccoli – 1/2 cup florets blanched
• Capsicum- 1 medium cut into Chinese squares
• Baby corn – a few cut into inch pieces
• sliced Bamboo shoots- 1/4 cup (optional)
• Spring onion- for garnish
• Oil to stir fry

For the sauce:-

• Oyster sauce- 1 Tbs
• Sesame oil- 1/2 tsp
• Light soy- 1 Tbs
• Dark soy- 1 tsp
• Chinese cooking rice wine- 1 Tbs
• Sambal Oelek red chili paste- 1 Tbs (or substitute with red chilli flakes)
• Sugar- 1/2 tsp
• Salt- 1/2 tsp
• Chicken/ Veg stock -1.5 Cups

Method:-

• Mix cornstarch and water to make a slurry and keep aside.
• Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and keep aside.
• Mix the thinly sliced chicken breast with a little bit of salt, pepper and dust with cornflour.
• In a wok heat about 2-3 Tbs of oil. When the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken strips, till it is fully cooked. Drain on a paper towel and keep aside.
• In the same wok heat a bit more oil , when hot enough, add finely chopped garlic and cubed onions and stir to fry for about 1 minute.
• Add cubed capsicum, baby corn, sliced mushrooms and sliced bamboo shoots and fry a bit more.
• Add the blanched carrot, broccoli and snow peas. Stir to mix.
• Add fried chicken strips ,Mix, Lastly add the prepared sauce.
• When the sauce starts to boil, add the cornstarch slurry to thicken.
• Garnish with chopped spring onions.
• Serve with white rice.

Variation:- Braised Tofu in garlic sauce

This can also be made fully vegetarian by substituting Chicken with firm Tofu. Tofu should be drained and patted dry, cut into cubes and fried in oil on both sides turning carefully so as not to break. Use enough oil so that the tofu doesn’t stick to the wok . Add garlic and onions to the tofu, then mushrooms , do not stir too much as the tofu breaks easily. Add the braising sauce before adding  other blanched vegetables (all the vegetables added last should be previously blanched). When the sauce starts to boil add the blanched vegetables, then finish with cornstarch slurry to thicken.

Oyster sauce can be substituted with either the vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom soy (just leave out the dark soy in the case of mushroom soy)