Siew Yoke Spicy Bean Paste Stir Fry

A few years ago, I wonder about the fascination with "stirfrys". Food magazines and celebrity chefs repeatedly post recipes and rave about the wonders about this "new technique" of cooking. Often, these recipes turn me off because their definition of stirfry means "heat wok, add ingredients, oyster sauce, dish and serve". Literally, it was stir the ingredients in a heated wok.

As I reflect about the cooking journey during the last few years, I laughed at myself when I recalled making the same mistakes when I was 16 too. Yup, I did the "heat wok, add ingredients, oyster sauce, dish and serve" technique. It suxs big time but it served me through college.


Slowly I learned that heat is very important in a stirfry. And a good wok.

Being short on time recently made me realize how easy it is to miss the first step of pre-heating the wok. Then, I ended up with a stir fry that resembles... well, meat/veges drenched in sauce.

Looking at this photo made me realize how much I miss stirfrying roast pork. Add some spicy bean sauce, lots of fresh green veges and rice... a quick one dish dinner.

Ah, I think that was the message those magazines were trying to tell me..stir frys, when done correctly is often full of flavour, quick and healthy.

Siew Yoke Spicy Bean Paste Stir Fry
250 grams of siew yoke
1 tablespoon of spicy bean paste
1 generous bowl of garden peas
1 red capsicum chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 chilli chopped

1) Pre heat work. Add olive oil and fry garlic and chili till fragrant.

2) Add siewyoke and keep frying on high heat. Add the bean paste and a few tablespoons of water. don't forget your veges. Keep tossing.

3) Serve with rice.