Beef and broccoli stir fry is a popular Asian dish most often associated with Chinese cuisine. The delicate blend of exotic spices, soy sauce and sesame oil combines perfectly to deliver an authentic taste sensation that’s hard for anyone to resist.

Beef and broccoli stir fry is low in fat and calories, highly nutritious and simple to prepare. In fact, the entire dish can be put together and on the table within half an hour.

Though you may come across a variation of ingredients for beef and broccoli, this recipe makes use of dried spices, which is ideal if you have a well stocked spice cupboard. It also includes star anise, a licorice tasting spice which is often featured in Asian dishes.

To use it, simply add it to the ingredients whole, then remove it before serving. When purchasing your beef, take care to choose a good quality cut such as sirloin which works well with stir frying.

This recipe serves 4 people and you should allow a preparation time of 15 minutes and 12 minutes cooking time.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tsp dried crushed chilies
1 large red onion
1 lb sirloin steak
2 cups of broccoli florets
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 star anise
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp sesame oil
Lime wedges to serve

Method:

The key to serving up your fragrant beef and broccoli in the fastest time is to assemble all your prepared ingredients before you start cooking. This way everything is to hand and all you need do is add the ingredients when necessary and cook.

First off, ensure you remove all visible signs of fat from the beef, then cut it into thin strips, each around two inches long. Finely slice the onion and mushrooms and crush the garlic cloves, then separate and wash the broccoli florets. Measure out all your spices and oils or just put the spice jars, oils, sauce and sherry close by with measuring spoons at the ready.

Now to begin cooking. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and crushed chilies and cook, while stirring for 1 minute. Add the beef strips and continue cooking on a high heat for a further 5 minutes. Next, remove the beef from the pan, placing it onto a plate or a bowl.

Wipe the wok with absorbent paper and re-heat. Add the remaining oil and tip in the broccoli florets, mushrooms, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and the star anise. Stir fry continuously for 5 minutes or a bit longer until the vegetables are cooked.

Once the vegetables are done, return the beef, onion and mushrooms to the wok and add the soy sauce and sherry. Continue briskly stirring, ensuring all the ingredients are well coated in the liquid. Keep stirring for a further two minutes then turn off the heat and remove the star anise. Finally, drizzle over the sesame oil and give it all one final stir through.

This recipe is also enjoyed by children, however, you’ll need to reduce the amount of chili as it may be a little too hot. You could always use a sweet chili sauce instead of fresh chilies if preferred. Beef and broccoli stir fry is ideally served accompanied with a bowl of steaming fluffy white rice and garnished with a lime wedge on the side.