Stir Fry Carrots (素炒紅蘿蔔)

This stir-fried vegetable dish is a tried-and-true Lau family favorite!

flodesk gif
Prep Time
20 min
Total Time
30 min
Yields
4 servings
YouTube Tutorial

A Recipe by Daddy Lau

My dad's been cooking Chinese food for over 50 years - as a kid fending for himself in Guangzhou, as the head chef of his own restaurant, and as a loving father in our home.

Hopefully, by learning this recipe, you'll get to experience some of the delicious joy we felt growing up eating his food!

- Randy

Looking for a vegetable dish that'll appeal to even the pickiest of eaters? Then you have to try my dad's carrot stir fry. His technique yields perfectly crisp-yet-tender carrots that my kids absolutely adore.

Of course, in true Daddy Lau fashion, he takes it to the next level by adding other ingredients and ultimately giving us a masterclass in stir frying vegetables. Come for the irresistible, restaurant-level carrots and stay to see how you can turn any vegetable into a satisfying side dish.

On blanching

Blanching is an essential step when it comes to stir frying vegetables. This technique of partially cooking firm vegetables in boiling water preps them for even stir frying. Stir frying without blanching will take longer, potentially burning or overcooking certain ingredients.

The exception to this rule is leafy greens, such as spinach or Napa cabbage, which can be added to stir fries directly.

Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!

Ingredients

Weight: US
oz
g
Volume: US
cup
mL
Servings
4

Main Ingredients

  • 8 oz carrot (

    about half of a large carrot

    )
  • 1 oz dried cloud ear fungus
  • 3 oz snow pea
  • 4 oz seafood mushroom
  • 3 oz king oyster mushroom (

    1 mushroom

    )
  • 5 oz celery (

    2 stalks

    )
  • 0.50 oz ginger
  • 0.50 oz garlic
  • 4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon cooking wine
  • 1 teaspoon oil (

    for finishing

    )

Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (

    or vegetarian oyster sauce for a fully vegetarian dish

    )
  • 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
  • 0.50 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoon potato starch (

    or cornstarch

    )

On carrots

In Chinese, carrots (紅蘿蔔) are called red radishes to help differentiate them from daikon (蘿蔔), or white radishes, even though the two are not related. Carrots are generally used to add a splash of color and texture to a dish. They're rarely the main ingredient, but are an essential sidekick, especially in homestyle dishes like braises and soups.

You'll find carrots in many of my dad's noodles dishes, like Vegetable Lo Mein and Stir-Fried Vermicelli, and soups such as our Hot & Sour Soup and Chicken Corn Soup.

Step 1: Prep cloud ear fungus

Soak the dried cloud ear fungus (1 oz) in a bowl of warm water for 13 to 15 minutes until fully hydrated.

Drain the soaking water. Rinse with clean water and drain again.

Remove the stems. If needed, cut any large pieces into smaller ones.

Step 2: Prep snow peas and mushrooms

Remove the tough strings from the snow peas (3 oz). Wash and soak for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cut off the dirty ends of the seafood mushrooms (4 oz). Slice the longer mushrooms in half. Quickly rinse and remove from the water.

Wash the king oyster mushroom (3 oz). Cut in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4-inch pieces at a diagonal.

Step 3: Prep carrot and aromatics

Trim off both ends of the celery (5 oz). Cut in half lengthwise, then rinse in water. Slice the celery into thin 2 to 3-inch strips.

Peel the ginger (0.50 oz). Cut into thin slices, then into quarters.

Trim off the hard ends and peel the garlic (0.50 oz). Cut into thin slices.

Cut off both ends of the carrot (8 oz), then peel.

Optional: For a fancy pattern, cut notches all around carrot to form small V shapes.

Cut into thin slices about the thickness of a quarter.

Step 4: Make stir fry sauce

Combine the oyster sauce (1 tablespoon), light soy sauce (2 teaspoon), salt (0.50 teaspoon), sugar (1 teaspoon), water (2 tablespoon), and potato starch (2 teaspoon) in a small bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine and dissolve the potato starch.

Taste and adjust as needed.

Step 5: Blanch vegetables

Boil the water (4 cup) in a large pot or wok on high heat.

Add the cloud ear fungus, followed by the carrots, then bring to boil for about 1 minute.

Add the celery and sliced king oyster mushroom. Bring to boil for about 1 minute.

Add the seafood mushrooms and give everything a stir. Bring to boil for about 1 minute.

Add the snow peas. Again, bring to boil for about 1 minute, mixing around gently.

Remove the ingredients and put it in a strainer to drain.

Pour the water out of the wok.

Step 6: Stir fry vegetables

Heat the wok on high to dry.

Toss the strainer to remove any excess water.

Pour the oil (2 tablespoon) to the wok. Add the ginger and garlic, then stir fry for 20 to 30 seconds until aromatic.

Add all of the blanched vegetables and toss to stir fry.

Add the cooking wine (1 teaspoon), pouring it around the edges of the hot wok. Stir fry and toss for 1 minute.

Add the stir fry sauce a bit at a time while tossing and mixing. Stir fry for about 1 minute, then turn the heat off.

(Chef's Tip: My dad recommends pouring in the sauce a bit at a time. This not only makes it easier to incorporate into the ingredients, but you can also adjust and use more or less depending on how the stir fry looks.)

Add the finishing oil (1 teaspoon) and mix in.

Plate and serve.

FAQ

Do I need to boil carrots before stir frying?

  • Yes! Hard vegetables like carrots should be blanched before stir frying to par-cook them. This guarantees that they have the perfect not-too-firm, not-too-soft texture.

What's the best way to cut carrots for stir frying?

  • Carrots should be sliced thinly to about the thickness of a quarter. You can cut them into rounds, at a diagonal, or even notch the carrots to form a pretty flower shape.

What oil should I use for stir frying?

  • Since stir frying uses high heat, it's best to use an oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado or canola oil. Avoid low smoke point oils like olive oil.

What's in a stir fry sauce?

  • Daddy Lau's stir fry sauce is a simple combination of oyster sauce, light soy sauce, salt, sugar , and water. Potato starch or cornstarch is used to help thicken the sauce during cooking.

Summary

Print Recipe
Made With Lau
madewithlau.com/recipes/stir-fry-carrots
Stir Fry Carrots (素炒紅蘿蔔)
This stir-fried vegetable dish is a tried-and-true Lau family favorite!
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 30 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 8 oz carrot (

    about half of a large carrot

    )
  • 1 oz dried cloud ear fungus
  • 3 oz snow pea
  • 4 oz seafood mushroom
  • 3 oz king oyster mushroom (

    1 mushroom

    )
  • 5 oz celery (

    2 stalks

    )
  • 0.50 oz ginger
  • 0.50 oz garlic
  • 4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon cooking wine
  • 1 teaspoon oil (

    for finishing

    )

Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (

    or vegetarian oyster sauce for a fully vegetarian dish

    )
  • 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
  • 0.50 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoon potato starch (

    or cornstarch

    )

Step 1 - Prep cloud ear fungus

↑ Jump to details

Soak the dried cloud ear fungus (1 oz) in a bowl of warm water for 13 to 15 minutes until fully hydrated.

Drain the soaking water. Rinse with clean water and drain again.

Remove the stems. If needed, cut any large pieces into smaller ones.

Step 2 - Prep snow peas and mushrooms

↑ Jump to details

Remove the tough strings from the snow peas (3 oz). Wash and soak for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cut off the dirty ends of the seafood mushrooms (4 oz). Slice the longer mushrooms in half. Quickly rinse and remove from the water.

Wash the king oyster mushroom (3 oz). Cut in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4-inch pieces at a diagonal.

Step 3 - Prep carrot and aromatics

↑ Jump to details

Trim off both ends of the celery (5 oz). Cut in half lengthwise, then rinse in water. Slice the celery into thin 2 to 3-inch strips.

Peel the ginger (0.50 oz). Cut into thin slices, then into quarters.

Trim off the hard ends and peel the garlic (0.50 oz). Cut into thin slices.

Cut off both ends of the carrot (8 oz), then peel.

Optional: For a fancy pattern, cut notches all around carrot to form small V shapes.

Cut into thin slices about the thickness of a quarter.

Step 4 - Make stir fry sauce

↑ Jump to details

Combine the oyster sauce (1 tablespoon), light soy sauce (2 teaspoon), salt (0.50 teaspoon), sugar (1 teaspoon), water (2 tablespoon), and potato starch (2 teaspoon) in a small bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine and dissolve the potato starch.

Taste and adjust as needed.

Step 5 - Blanch vegetables

↑ Jump to details

Boil the water (4 cup) in a large pot or wok on high heat.

Add the cloud ear fungus, followed by the carrots, then bring to boil for about 1 minute.

Add the celery and sliced king oyster mushroom. Bring to boil for about 1 minute.

Add the seafood mushrooms and give everything a stir. Bring to boil for about 1 minute.

Add the snow peas. Again, bring to boil for about 1 minute, mixing around gently.

Remove the ingredients and put it in a strainer to drain.

Pour the water out of the wok.

Step 6 - Stir fry vegetables

↑ Jump to details

Heat the wok on high to dry.

Toss the strainer to remove any excess water.

Pour the oil (2 tablespoon) to the wok. Add the ginger and garlic, then stir fry for 20 to 30 seconds until aromatic.

Add all of the blanched vegetables and toss to stir fry.

Add the cooking wine (1 teaspoon), pouring it around the edges of the hot wok. Stir fry and toss for 1 minute.

Add the stir fry sauce a bit at a time while tossing and mixing. Stir fry for about 1 minute, then turn the heat off.

(Chef's Tip: My dad recommends pouring in the sauce a bit at a time. This not only makes it easier to incorporate into the ingredients, but you can also adjust and use more or less depending on how the stir fry looks.)

Add the finishing oil (1 teaspoon) and mix in.

Plate and serve.

Step 7 - Take pictures
Whip out your camera (1). Begin taking photos (1,000,000). Pick your favorites!
Step 8 - Share and tag us on Instagram @madewithlau #madewithlau!
Did you have fun making this recipe? We'd love to see & hear about it. (Especially my dad. He would be THRILLED!)

Enjoy!

We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.

Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.

Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.

Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.