Phat Phak Ruam, Thai Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables
Phat phak ruam mit, stir-fried mixed vegetables, is the plain good sense of a Thai kitchen: whatever is crisp and fresh, cooked hot and fast, bound in a savory sauce. Restaurant versions lean on oil and oyster sauce; this one drops both. A dry wok, hot enough to sear, gives the vegetables their color and smoke, and a small mix of tamari and white miso rebuilds the salty, savory depth that oyster sauce brings, thickened to a gloss with a teaspoon of arrowroot. The order of the pan matters more than any ingredient: firm vegetables first, tender ones last, garlic at the very end so it perfumes without burning. Swap in any crisp vegetable you have, the technique carries it.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Broccoli, cut into small florets
- 6 oz Long beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 whole Carrots, thinly sliced on the bias
- 3 cups Napa cabbage, cut into wide ribbons
- 4 oz Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Low-sodium tamari
- 1 tsp White miso
- 1/4 tsp White pepper
- 1 tsp Arrowroot
Method
- Whisk the tamari, miso, and arrowroot into a quarter cup (60 ml) of water and set it by the stove. This is the sauce: the miso deepens it the way oyster sauce would, and the arrowroot thickens it into a gloss that clings to the vegetables instead of pooling. Have everything else cut and within reach, because a stir-fry moves fast.
- Get a wide pan or wok very hot and add the carrots, long beans, and broccoli stems, the firm vegetables that need the most cooking. Sear them dry, tossing, for 2 minutes so the edges catch and take on a little smoke. A screaming-hot dry pan does the browning that oil usually would.
- Add a few tablespoons of water to raise steam, cover for 1 minute, then uncover and add the broccoli florets, shiitake, and cabbage. Toss another 2 minutes until the mushrooms soften and the cabbage just wilts but everything still snaps.
- Push the vegetables to the side, add the garlic to the bare pan for 15 seconds until fragrant, then pour in the sauce. Toss constantly as it bubbles and thickens, about 30 seconds, so every piece is coated.
- Grind in the white pepper off the heat. White pepper is the quiet signature of Thai stir-fries, earthier and more floral than black. The tamari and miso are the only salted things in the pan, so taste before reaching for more.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 110 calories, 5 g protein, 6 g fiber, 200 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
