Vietnamese Beef Stir-Fry
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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
A fast, fresh stir-fry that soaks organic beef strips in a lime and tamari marinade, sizzles them with crunchy green cabbage and rounds the whole lot off with golden, toasted peanuts and a big scoop of fluffy brown basmati.
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776 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 150g brown basmati rice
  • 1 tbsp Demerera sugar
  • 50g tamari
  • 1 lime
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 250g beef stir-fry strips
  • 1 onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • ½ small green cabbage
  • 35g peanuts
From your kitchen
  • 450ml boiling water
  • Sea salt
  • 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Pour the rice into a sieve and rinse under cold water. Tip the rice into a small pan. Pour in 300ml boiling water and add a pinch of salt. Cover, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and gently cook for 25 mins till all the water is absorbed. Take off the heat and leave to steam for 5 mins, lid on, in the pan. It will stay warm in there.

  • 2.

    While the rice cooks, tip 1 tbsp Demerara sugar into a dish. Pour in the tamari. Finely grate in the lime zest. Juice the lime into the dish. Peel and grate or crush the garlic and add to the dish. Give it all a good stir. Add the beef stir-fry strips and turn a few times to coat. Set aside to marinate for a few mins.

  • 3.

    Peel and finely slice the onion. Halve the pepper. Scoop out the seeds and white bits. Finely slice it. Finely slice half the cabbage, discarding any really thick bits of core. Roughly chop the peanuts and set to one side.

  • 4.

    Put the wok back on a high heat for 2 mins. Add ½ tbsp oil. Lift the beef stir-fry strips out of the marinade (keep the marinade for later) and add to the pan. Stir fry for 3-4 mins till the beef is browned. Take the beef out of the pan and place on a plate.

  • 5.

    Add another ½ tbsp oil to the pan. Add the onion and cabbage to the pan. Stir fry for 5 mins till the veg start to soften. Add the pepper and stir fry for another 3 mins.

  • 6.

    Tip the beef back into the pan with any meat juices from the plate. Pour in the marinade. Add 150ml boiling water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 5 mins.

  • 7.

    The rice should be cooked. Divide it between 2 warm bowls. Top with the beef stir-fry and the chopped peanuts.

  • 8.

  • Tip

    Dial me a cabbage
    For extra green goodness, you can use the whole cabbage in your stir-fry. Or keep the leftover half in the fridge and try shredding it and tossing it with a mix of extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper for a simple, crunchy side salad.

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