Skip to main content
Main

Thai-Inspired Stir-Fry

A stir-fry of golden-fried tofu with asparagus, snap peas, mushrooms, lemongrass and scallions, seasoned with soy sauce and chili paste, served over rice.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
Jump to recipe ↓

Why it works: Garlic and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,700 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓

Thai-Inspired Stir-Fry

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the tofu

  1. Slice tofu into pieces 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 2 inches.

  2. Place tofu on triple layers of paper towels, top with another triple layer of paper towels and press out excess moisture.

Fry the tofu

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.

  2. Add tofu and cook for about 5 minutes, turning over once or twice, until golden brown.

  3. Using a slotted spatula, remove tofu to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside.

Stir-fry the vegetables

  1. Add garlic and lemongrass to skillet and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until garlic becomes fragrant.

  2. Using a slotted spoon, remove garlic and discard. Leave lemongrass in skillet.

  3. Cut asparagus spears into 1 1/2-inch lengths.

  4. Add scallions, asparagus and sugar snap peas to skillet and stir-fry for 1 minute.

  5. Add sugar, salt and chili paste, and stir.

  6. Add mushrooms and soy sauce, bring to a boil, cover and cook for 2 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and have released their juices.

  7. Serve hot over rice, and garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

457Calories
21 gProtein
20 gFat
55 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 15 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Tofu100g firm76
Pea1/2 cup (72g)62
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Asparagus6 spears (90g)27
Mushroom1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Lemongrass1 tbsp (6g)5
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Garlic + mushroomtop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,700 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  2. Asparagus + mushroomtop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together400 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

  3. Garlic + asparagustop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together606 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  4. Tofu + garlictop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together604 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  5. Tofu + mushroomtop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together201 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Firm tofu
Pressed and fried to form a golden, crisp-edged protein base that holds its shape.
Mushrooms
Release their juices when covered, adding moisture and savory depth to the sauce.
Soy sauce
Adds salty, savory flavor and color to the stir-fry.
Sugar snap peas
Stay crisp-tender in quick stir-frying, adding texture and sweetness.
Garlic
Infuses the hot oil with aroma as it turns fragrant during frying.

The step that matters

Pressing the tofu. Removing excess moisture before frying lets the surface dry and brown instead of steaming, giving a golden exterior rather than a soft, soggy one.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, garlic, asparagus, sugar, mushroom, sauce):

  1. Capersfits better
  2. Gingerfits better
  3. Turmericfits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, garlic, asparagus, sugar, mushroom, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

You might also like

Asparagus SoupAsparagus Soup179 recipesAsparagus SaladAsparagus Salad77 recipesMushroom SoupMushroom Soup60 recipesCream of AsparagusCream of Asparagus38 recipes