I don’t know about you, but I’m still struggling with the couple of extra pounds I put on over the holidays. I blame it on the Fried Chicken, Fried Green Tomatoes, Chicken Pot Pie and Peach Cobbler we devoured at Mary Mac’s while visiting my sister Jeanie in Atlanta (not to mention the elaborate dinners my siblings and I cooked every night). Since we got back, I’ve been feasting on this clean and delicious Stir-Fried Chili Tamarind Veggie dish from my cookbook “Everyday Thai Cooking” and I’m almost back to my fighting weight. LOL. I love it because it’s loaded with tons of flavor from the ginger, Thai basil, fish sauce, srircha sauce and tamarind but has very little fat. I blanch the snow peas and broccoli so each bite if tender crisp. I get my tamarind concentrate in the gourmet section of World Market. You can substitute tamarind concentrate by using lemon or lime juice with a touch of brown sugar. Add some tofu for a protein boost!
2 tablespoons high heat cooking oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 oz sliced carrots
2 oz. stemmed and sliced fresh shitake mushrooms
2 oz. thinly sliced red bell pepper
2 oz. snow peas, tips and strings removed, cut into 1 inch pieces on a diagonal
2 oz. broccoli florets
2 oz. canned baby corn, drained, rinsed and sliced lengthwise
3/4 cup fresh Thai or Italian basil
1 1/2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate
2 tablespoons vegetable stock or water
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Srircha sauce