Recipe: Crispy gochujang beef, broccoli and eggplant stir-fry

This gochujang stir-fry is packed with flavour and just the right amount of spice.

With the arrival of spring produce comes a fridge full of things we buy after getting excited to finally have them back in the supermarket.

When that happens, you need a recipe that uses up a whole lot of things in one go.

Enter: the humble stir-fry.

This stir-fry, aside from a medley of vegetables, heroes crispy beef and gochujang.

Gochujang is a tangy Korean chilli paste that has a velvety texture and vibrant red hue.

It’s not overpoweringly hot, so you can taste the flavour of the chillies.

I’ve used it to make a simple flavour-packed sauce that is tossed through the stir-fry to give it heat and bold flavour.

The crispy beef is an absolute highlight - achieve this by cooking the beef mince in a good bit of oil over high heat, until it’s really nicely browned and crispy.

You’ll love the texture and deep caramelised flavour this gives the dish.

As for the vegetables: this stir fry uses broccoli, eggplant, mushrooms and cabbage, which each individually bring a different texture and flavour to the dish (and a wealth of nutrition).

Find gochujang at any Asian supermarket; you’ll be making this recipe on repeat!

Crispy gochujang beef, broccoli and eggplant stir-fry

Serves four as a side

Ingredients

• 250g beef mince
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 5g fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 small broccoli (200g), cut into small florets
• 1/2 large eggplant (150g), cut into batons
• 50g mushrooms, sliced
• 150g red cabbage (about ¼ of a small cabbage), thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped, plus extra to garnish
• Finely chopped spring onion and coriander

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing often, until browned and crispy. Transfer beef to a bowl, and immediately add onion, garlic and ginger to the pan.
2. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, then add broccoli and eggplant and reduce heat to medium. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until broccoli is vibrant. Add mushrooms and cabbage, and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar and salt. Pour into the pan along with the cooked beef, and toss together to combine.
4. Remove from heat and toss through the peanuts. Serve hot, garnished with spring onion, coriander and extra chopped peanuts.

Olivia Moore and her Taupō business That Green Olive offer recipe development, food photography - in studio or on-location - for restaurants and cafes, recipe video creation and social media content creation. Visit Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com