LEARN HOW TO MAKE CHINESE CRISPY TARO BIRD'S NEST WITH VEGETABLES RECIPE TODAY!
LAY HO MA (how's it going in Cantonese)! Join me in this episode and learn how to make the most amazing Chinese crispy taro bird's nest (crispy taro basket) with vegetables recipe today!
INGREDIENTS: 225g taro 1 tsp + 2 tsp potato starch 2 tsp + 2 tsp avocado oil 175g extra firm tofu pinches of salt pepper to taste 1 piece garlic 1 small piece ginger 2 sticks green onions 1/2 carrot 1/2 red onion 1 long red pepper 80g sugar snap peas 5 water chestnuts 85g straw mushrooms 1 tsp cane sugar 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 cup vegetable stock
DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Slice the top and tail ends of the taro and peel. Using a julienne peeler, very carefully julienne the taro lengthwise (making long shreds). Place the taro into a 9 inch wide foil pan. Add 1 tsp potato starch and 2 tsp of avocado oil. Mix to coat. Then, spread and press the taro against the foil pan. The goal is to make a "basket" shape. Place the foil pan onto a baking tray and set aside
2. Pat dry the extra firm tofu with a paper towel. Then, slice into bite sized cubes. Spread the tofu onto a small baking tray lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the taro on the top rack of the oven and the tofu on the middle rack. Bake for 35mins
3. Grate the garlic and ginger. Finely chop the green onions. Slice the carrot and chop the red onion into bite sized pieces. Deseed the long red pepper and chop into bite sized pieces. Peel and discard the stringy bit from the sugar snap peas
4. After 35mins, take the taro basket and tofu out of the oven. Using a spatula, very gently transfer the taro basket out of the foil pan and onto the baking tray. Place it back in the oven to bake for another 15-20mins
5. Make a slurry by stirring together 2 tsp of potato starch with a couple tbsp of water. Heat up a sauté pan to medium heat. Add in 2 tsp avocado oil followed by the red onions and carrots. Sauté for 2-3mins. Add the garlic, ginger, and green onions. Stir the pan. Add the sugar snap peas and red peppers. Sauté for a couple of minutes. Add in the baked tofu, water chestnuts, straw mushrooms, pinch of salt, cane sugar, and toasted sesame oil. Sauté for a couple of minutes
6. Add in the veggie stock and slurry. Stir immediately and cook for about a minute. When the taro basket is golden brown, take it out of the oven. Plate the crispy taro basket and scoop in the vegetable medley
On today's menu, an extraordinary Chinese dish
you'll absolutely love,
a stunning and crispy vegetable taro basket.
Lei Hou Ma, that's how it's going in Cantonese.
Welcome to Young Man Cooking, I'm Will Young.
Join me in this episode
as we make one of my favorite childhood dishes.
As always, if you enjoyed today's episode,
be sure to give it a thumbs up, leave a comment below.
Let's begin.
Preheat the oven to 375.
This here is taro.
It has a very unique sweet flavor
and the texture is similar to that of a potato.
This is probably an Asian grocery store find
and we'll be using this today
to make that sort of basket
or better known as the bird's nest part of the dish.
Slice off the top and tail ends of the taro.
Carefully peel the taro.
This is a massive chunk of taro
and we only need about 225 grams for today's recipe,
but you can use the extra taro for awesome recipes
like a decadent coconut taro rice pudding
or a beautifully purple taro milk tea.
I'll link those recipes in the description box below.
Next, you'll need long, thin straps of the taro.
I'm using a julienne peeler, which makes life much easier.
Just be very careful,
ensure that you have a good grip on the taro
and always peel away from your hand.
Next, place the taro into a foil pan.
I'm using one that's about nine inches in diameter.
One teaspoon potato or cornstarch.
Drizzle over two teaspoons of avocado oil.
Mix to ensure the taro is coated.
Spread and press the taro against the foil pan.
The goal here is to make a basket with that taro.
Take your time with this
and ensure that it's pretty evenly distributed.
Traditionally, the taro basket is fried,
but for today's episode, we'll be baking it.
Place the taro onto a baking sheet and set aside.
Pat dry about 175 grams of extra firm tofu.
Slice the tofu into bite-sized cubes.
This recipe makes a good sharing portion
for two to three people.
Spread the tofu onto a small baking tray
lined with parchment paper.
Season with some salt and pepper to taste.
The tofu can be tossed in some oil,
but there's really no need.
Place the taro on the top rack
and the tofu on the middle rack.
Bake for 35 minutes.
While we wait, we can prep the veggies.
One piece of garlic, grated.
A small piece of ginger, grated.
Finely chop two sticks of green onions.
This is your classic Chinese aromatic combination.
We're using about half a carrot for today's recipe.
I'm cutting some small triangular strips around the carrot.
This just gives the carrots a fun design
and of course, it's completely optional.
If you do decide to do this,
please be extremely careful
and always slice away from your fingers.
Slice down the carrot.
These will add a nice sweet crunch.
Chop half a red onion into bite-sized pieces.
You can definitely use a white or yellow onion instead.
I prefer the red onion as it has a subtle sweet flavor
and it adds a pop of color.
De-seed one long red chili pepper.
Then chop down into bite-sized pieces.
These peppers are pretty mild,
but of course, this is optional.
Peel and discard the stringy part
from the sugar snap peas.
For this recipe, I'm using about 80 grams
of sugar snap peas.
These are water chestnuts and straw mushrooms.
The water chestnuts have this delicious crunch
and sweetness, it's quite refreshing.
The straw mushrooms have this really nice earthy umami.
They're both canned products
and should be pretty easy to find
at an Asian grocery store.
After 35 minutes, take out the tofu
and the taro basket.
Very gently and carefully,
transfer the taro basket out of the foil pan
and onto the baking sheet
and place it back in the oven
to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.
This is so that more air can circulate
around the baskets, ensuring that the entire thing
is nice and crispy.
Have a slurry ready by combining two teaspoons
of potato or cornstarch with a little bit of water.
Saute pan.
Medium heat.
Two teaspoons avocado oil.
Red onions.
Carrots.
Saute for two to three minutes.
Add in the garlic, ginger, and green onions.
Give the pan a good stir.
Sugar snap peas and red pepper.
Saute for a couple of minutes.
The goal is to get some color on those vegetables
but still retain a nice, fresh crunch.
Add in the baked tofu.
Then, add in about a cup of the straw mushrooms
and about five water chestnuts.
A pinch of salt.
One teaspoon cane sugar.
And about half a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.
Saute for another couple of minutes.
Add in one cup of veggie stock, followed by the slurry.
Give the pan a good stir and that sauce
will thicken quickly.
I'm using salted veggie stock today.
If you're using unsalted veggie stock,
you can be a little heavier on the seasoning.
When the taro basket is done, take it out of the oven.
I would highly recommend keeping an eye
on the taro basket as it bakes.
If the taro is julienne too thin, it may burn easier.
Plus, every oven may also cook a little different.
Carefully plate the taro basket.
Take a moment to admire that beautiful, crispy taro.
That just looks beautiful
and just sensationally crispy.
Scoop into the basket the delicious saucy vegetable medley.
You can now share and enjoy this delicious recipe
with absolute confidence.
This has always been one of my childhood favorite dishes.
It's just so fun to eat.
And by the way, I did change the plating
because I really wanted to show off
that beautiful, crispy taro a little bit more.
This is really just simple ingredients at its best.
Visually, it's stunning with all these beautiful colors
from the veggies that's just propped up
and displayed in this extraordinary taro basket.
That baked tofu absorbs that sauce and it's just glossy.
The carrots and the sugar snap peas
bring this nice, fresh crunch
as well as this natural sweetness.
The straw mushrooms add a nice umami
and earthiness as well.
There's just a slight hint of heat from the red pepper
but it's balanced out really well
with the overall sweetness.
There's also that fresh crunch and that sweet flavor
from the delightful water chestnuts.
The taro is nice and crispy
but some parts do get softened up
because of that hot sauce.
And when you enjoy the veggies in combination
with that crispy taro, it is simply perfection.
This is usually served and shared as a family style dish
and enjoyed simply with some freshly steamed white rice.
You can definitely use other veggies that you have on hand.
It's nice to use ones that have contrasting colors
so that really makes the dish pop.
It's such a simple, delicious recipe to make
but it's so sensational and such a nice novelty
to be able to enjoy these veggies
in this beautiful, crispy taro basket.
Like I always say, it's simple, delicious recipes like this
that makes it so much fun and exciting
to cook and dine in at home.
If you love easy, delicious recipes like I do,
be sure to check out or pick up a copy
of one of the four Youngman Cooking cookbooks.
There is a print or digital version available
in the link in the description box below
or you can visit youngmancooking.com.
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in the next episode.
