Vegetable Kung Pao
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons water ⓘ
- 1 cup rice ⓘ
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar ⓘ
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 small onion ⓘ
- 4 stalks celery ⓘ
- 3 zucchini ⓘ
- 3 cloves garlic ⓘ
- 2 tablespoons canola oil ⓘ
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper ⓘ
- 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts ⓘ
- 1 cup whole peanuts ⓘ
Instructions
- Place the 2 1/4 cups water and rice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Combine the cornstarch, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl, stir until smooth, and set aside.
- Peel the onion and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Trim and discard the ends of the celery and zucchini and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press.
- Place the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Let the oil get hot but not smoking (its right when a drop of water flicked onto the surface of the oil evaporates right away).
- Add the onion, celery, zucchini, and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables just start to get soft.
- The stirring is so the ingredients dont stick and so they get cooked evenly.
- Add the garlic and water chestnuts and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are still firm but also a bit tender.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the peanuts and take the pan off the heat immediately.
- Spoon some rice into the center of each of 4 plates and top with equal amounts of the hot vegetables and sauce.
- There are a lot of stories about where the name Kung Pao came from, but all agree the dish was named for someone importantapparently, this gives it prestige.
- Personally, I just like it because it has peanuts.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
691
kcal
35% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
Diet fit
High-fiber
Contains
Soy
Peanut
Estimated from ingredients & per-serving nutrition — verify against package labels for allergies or strict diets.
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).
Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data and may vary with brand, portion and preparation — see our methodology. This information is for general educational purposes only and is not medical or dietary advice (disclaimer).