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garlic scapes stir fry with minced beed served with white rice.
Lubainah

Garlic Scapes stir fry with minced beef

Quick and easy garlic scapes stir fry with minced beef, bird's eye chili, soy sauce and kecap manis. A flavourful, spicy weeknight dinner ready in 25 minutes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb minced beef can be substituted with minced chicken or mutton
  • 2 bunch garlic scapes trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 4 bird's eye chilis finely chopped, adjust to heat preference
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped or minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp kecap manis for sweetness and depth
  • 1/2 cup enoki mushrooms optional, but adds a great texture
  • salt to taste

Method
 

Prepare the ingredients:
  1. Trim and cut the garlic scapes into 1/2 inch pieces. Finely chop the bird’s eye chilies and mince the garlic.
Cook the minced beef:
  1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant.
  2. Add the minced beef and sear it until caramelized and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Break up any clumps with a spatula.
  3. Add the chopped bird's eye chili and stir for a few seconds
Season the stir-fry:
  1. Pour in the soy sauce and kecap manis. Stir well to coat everything evenly. Add salt to taste.
  2. Toss in the garlic scapes and enoki mushrooms. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until the scapes are tender-crisp.
Finish and serve:
  1. Cook for another minute until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice or noodles.

Notes

Protein swaps: You can easily substitute minced beef with minced chicken, pork, mutton, or firm tofu for a vegetarian option.
Garlic scape substitutes: If garlic scapes aren’t available, green garlic or green onions can work as alternatives, though the flavor will be milder.
Adjust spice level: Bird’s eye chilies add heat—reduce or omit them if you prefer a milder dish.
Kecap manis alternative: If you don’t have kecap manis, mix soy sauce with a teaspoon of brown sugar or honey for similar sweetness.
Mushroom options: Enoki mushrooms add a delicate texture, but you can swap in shiitake, oyster, or button mushrooms.
Serving suggestion: Serve this stir-fry over steamed jasmine rice or with noodles for a complete meal.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or microwave.