Sweet-N-Sour Stir-Fry

This is vegetarian stir-fry with actual reasons to order in. Hard vegetables go into the hot pan first (pea pods, summer squash, broccoli florets), followed by the delicate crunchers (sprouts, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, red pepper), and the fresh tropical fruit hits last so the pineapple, mango, and mandarin stay bright instead of breaking down into jam.

The fruit is the differentiator. Most sweet-and-sour stir-fries lean on a jarred red sauce for the sweet note; here the fruit carries it, and the sauce just ties everything together at the end. Cooking each element in stages, only a minute or two apart, keeps the whole wok full of distinct textures instead of one uniform mush.

Chef Tips

• Prep every ingredient before the wok heats. Stir-fry waits for no one, and running back to cut vegetables means burned garlic.
• Use a wide pan or wok on high heat. Crowding a small skillet steams the vegetables instead of searing them.
• Add the fruit last and only for a minute. Longer and the mango collapses into the sauce.
• Taste the sauce before it goes in. Pineapple juice affects the final sweetness; adjust vinegar or soy accordingly.

Variations

• Add cubed tofu or cooked shrimp in the last stage for protein.
• Serve over rice noodles or cauliflower rice instead of white rice.
• Finish with a scattering of cashews or sesame seeds for crunch.