The Dai people are an ethnic minority group primarily inhabiting the lush and mountainous regions of Yunnan Province in southwestern China, as well as parts of neighboring Southeast Asian countries such as Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. The food is characterized by its bold flavors, fresh ingredients, and the generous use of herbs and spices, exemplified in this stir-fry. Serve over hot cooked rice.
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Dai-Style Herbed Beef Stir-Fry
Ingredients
Beef
¾ lb (375 g) Lean Ground Beef Chuck
½ tsp (2 mL) EACH salt and cornstarch
½ tsp (2 mL) EACH light soy sauce and dark soy sauce
¼ tsp (1 mL) finely ground Sichuan peppercorns
1½ tsp (7 mL) peanut oil
Stir-Fry
1½ oz (45 g) Chinese chives
1½ oz (45 g) sawtooth coriander (culantro)
1½ oz (45 g) rau ram (laksa leaf, Vietnamese coriander)
3 oz (90 g) Thai holy basil (horapha), see Tip*
1 tbsp (15 mL) peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 to 4 fresh facing heaven (chao tian jiao) or Thai chili peppers, thinly sliced
¼ cup (60 mL) water
1 tsp (5 mL) light soy sauce
¼ tsp (1 mL) EACH salt and finely ground star anise
¼ tsp (1 mL) finely ground Chinese black cardamom (tsao-ko)
⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) MSG (optional)
Instructions
- Beef: Combine ground beef, salt, cornstarch, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Sichuan peppercorns and oil in a bowl, until thoroughly combined. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator while you prepare remaining ingredients.
- Stir-Fry: Trim the root end from Chinese chives to release the leaves. Thinly slice leaves crosswise into ⅛-inch (3 mm) slices (you should have about 1 cup/250 mL); place in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Trim the root end from the sawtooth coriander to release the leaves. Thinly slice crosswise into ⅛-inch (3 mm) slices (you should have about 1½ cups/375 mL lightly packed); place in a large bowl. Pluck the leaves from the rau ram stalks (you should have about 1½ cups/375 mL lightly packed); add to the large bowl. Pluck the leaves from the holy basil stalks and (you should have about 2 cups/500 mL lightly packed); add to the large bowl; set aside.
- Set kitchen fan to HIGH. Heat a 14- to 16-inch (35 to 40 cm) wok or heavy skillet over high heat until it smokes. Turn off the heat and swirl in the oil (this seasons the wok). Return to medium heat. Add beef mixture and cook, stirring often and using back of spoon to break up into small chunks, for about 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates and the beef is sizzling in the oil and thoroughly cooked.
- Push the beef up the side of the wok, letting the oil drain into the bowl of the wok. Add the garlic and chili peppers to oil, then stir, combining with the beef. Add Chinese chives and water. Increase heat to high and stir-fry until the water has evaporated. Add soy sauce, salt, star anise, Chinese cardamom, and MSG (if using). Mix thoroughly. Add the remaining herbs and stir-fry until barely wilted. Serve immediately.
Notes
Tip* Holy basil is known scientifically as Ocimum tenuiflorum, and as tulsi in India. Thai basil (ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora) with its purple stalks and dark green leaves is a different herb and has an entirely different flavour.
The Sichuan peppercorns, star anise and cardamom can be finely ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle (grinding peppercorns separately). If using a mortar and pestle, sieve the ground spices through a fine mesh sieve then regrind the particles left in the sieve.
Before preparing the herbs in step 2, rinse each of the herbs separately and dry well with a lint-free towel or in a salad spinner.
