Ginisang gulay recipe is a 5 minute recipe with minimal preparation and only a handful of ingredients needed this flavorful vegetable dish is perfect as a side dish.The recipe works with any vegetables available on hand. Add your favorite protein then serve with rice and noodles for a complete meal.
Have you ever met anyone who asks, what am I going to make for dinner tonight?
Quick answer would be make a stir-fried vegetable dish using pantry staples, soy sauce, sauce like mushroom or oyster sauce, any 2-3 vegetables on hand, a protein perhaps like shrimp, chicken, pork or plant-based protein. Forget the protein if there is none. Serve the stir fry with rice or noodles and dinner is served.
Let’s make and enjoy crisp vegetables seasoned with garlicky, sweet and savoury sauce. Perfect side dish because it is hearty, delicious, with very little time and effort can be thrown together any day of the week.
What is ginisang gulay?
Ginisa is stir-fry. Gulay refers to vegetables. The ng in ginisa connects it to gulay which means stir-fried vegetables. This is a common homecooked dish in the Philippines which is also seen in places to eat like restaurants or turu-turo.
Ginisang gulay that I grew up with used fermented fish or krill, locally known as bagoong and alamang. However, these ingredients are not readily available overseas that’s why I used mushroom sauce and soy sauce.
The flavour that fermented fish sauce give cannot be replaced by mushroom nor soy sauce. We need to accept the fact that it will not be but by using other sauces it is possible to make a vegetable stir-fry full of flavour and texture.
This ginisang gulay recipe is vegan and vegetarian-friendly as it uses mushroom sauce which does not contain any animal products.
Mixed vegetable stir-fry is not only a quick and easy dish to make but also very tasty. It is perfect as a side dish, add protein like shrimp, chicken, pork or tofu to your liking but adjust the cooking time accordingly.
What is in this ginisang gulay?
The ingredients are easily interchangeable. It is a perfect fridge clean-up recipe. Look in the fridge, see what vegetables are available, arrange them according to their firmness, wash, and chop.
The ingredients in this recipe are suggestions only, feel free to use other vegetables that you like, in season or what’s in hand.
I was lucky to have found a mushroom sauce in Thailand that was used in this dish. In combination with the soy sauce, it did not need sugar or more salt, it was just right to our liking. If you were to use other brand of sauces, feel free to adjust the seasonings according to taste.
Carrots
Asparagus
Pak choi or bok choy
Garlic
Neutral cooking oil
Mushroom sauce – I used the Mega Chef brand mushroom sauce. Oyster sauce could be used in place of the mushroom sauce.
Soy sauce – use light of normal soy sauce
How to make mixed Vegetable Stir-fy
Today’s stir-fry follows the chop, cook, season process.
Chop the vegetables, separate and organize them according to how long they will take to cook.
Heat a pan on high heat. Add cold oil followed by crushed garlic.
Saute the garlic until golden and aromatic.
Add the vegetables one at a time. In this case, carrots, stir-fry and cook for about a minute or two.
Add the softer vegetable which is asparagus. Toss and add a splash of water then cook for 20-30 seconds.
Toss the leafy vegetable which is pak choi followed by the seasoning, mix quickly and cook until just wilted.
Adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve with rice.
A quick tip: Mix the vegetables quickly as soon as the soft vegetables ad seasoning are added to evenly spread the flavour over the vegetables.
Try these vegetable dishes next:
Ensaladang Labanos a Filipino radish salad
Looking for inspiration or want to try more homecooked meals?
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Let’s get cooking.
Ginisang Gulay (Mixed Vegetable Stir-fry)
Ingredients
- 1 medium carrot cut into sticks
- 1 bunch pak choi cut stalks and leaves
- 1 bunch asparagus cut in half
- 8-10 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp mushroom sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce light or regular
Instructions
- Turn the heat to high. In a large pan, add a little vegetable oil and garlic.
- Saute until garlic are golden.
- Add carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add asparagus and a splash of water then cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the leafy vegetables followed by the sauces. Toss and cook until the leafy vegetables are wilted.
- Remove from heat and serve with rice. Enjoy!
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