Quick stir-fry in “bamboo” containers

In The Kitchen

Quick stir-fry in "bamboo" containersQuick stir-fry in “bamboo” containers Photo credit: Victoria Li

I am a bamboo lover. I have bamboo pots sitting both on my office desk and at home. The meaning of lucky bamboo plays a huge part in Chinese culture. Many people give this kind of plant for housewarming gifts, birthdays, anniversaries and achievements. It seems like bamboo is never an inappropriate gift for any occasions. If you want to surprise your families and friends with a “bamboo dish” that’s edible, pay close attention to the following recipe!

Ingredients (Serves 2 – 3)

  • 3 Cucumbers
  • 1 boneless skinless chicken thigh
  • ½ Red bell pepper
  • ½ yellow/orange bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoon Soy sauce

Direction

  1. Finely mince chicken thigh, all bell peppers
  2. In a pan, stir fry minced chicken thigh for about one minute, add bell peppers and garlic, keep cooking for another five minutes. Season the mixture with soy sauce, salt and pepper
  3. Chop cucumbers to equal chunks, use a knife to make two equally cuts on both sides (do not cut all the way), use a small fork to make two perpendicular cuts then carefully dig out the middle part
  4. Fill the cucumber chunks with stir-fried mixtures, use remaining cucumbers to cut decoration pieces, plate and enjoy!
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Ingredients: Cucumbers, orange bell pepper, red bell pepper, chicken thigh and garlic

cut bell peppers and chicken into small cubes, cut cucumbers into containers (More details in video)

Cut bell peppers and chicken into small cubes, cut cucumbers into containers (More details in video)

Transfer stir-fry into "bamboo" containers

Transfer stir-fry into “bamboo” containers

Tips

  • The cucumbers are totally edible
  • You can replace chicken thigh with whatever meat you want. Pork, beef, fish, you name it. Same for veggies!
  • If you are making this dish for the elders, you can steam the cucumbers for five minutes or so to make them softer to chew

I hope enjoyed making this dish. Feel free to share how your families and friends liked it. Let me know if you have any suggestions or comments. For more homemade dishes and recipes, come follow me on Instagram! Happy Chinese New Year!