Asian-style stir fry suggestions please, with caveats

[Anonymous]

This weekend, I would like to make an Asian-style stir-fry for my family, but my son is allergic to all beans including soy beans. So, we can't use soy sauce, any prepared sauce that has soy in it, or edamame. He's also allergic to sesame (and sesame oil) and coconut. None of my old stir-fries or curries really work for him so I haven't tried to make either in years (he's 7).

I browsed the Asian section of our grocery store today and bought fish sauce and plum sauce, which both look okay for him.

I also have chicken, broccoli, ginger, garlic, and green onions.

Any suggestions of for which sauce I should use (or both) and in what quantities? Or, can you suggest a recipe that I could modify (leave out or substitute for the soy sauce/sesame oil/coconut milk)?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Carrots? Baby corn? Water chestnuts? Straw mushrooms?

I cannot personally imagine making a stir fry that didn't involve either soy sauce, sesame oil, or coconut milk, but if you already have a plan for the sauce, I'd love to hear it.

[Anonymous]

Ooh, that's a tough one. Either soy, sesame, and coconut are pretty much in everything Asian, huh?

How about lemongrass chicken? http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lemongrass-chicken-october-2007

DH is Vietnamese and we make that a lot and it's delicious. You could do the broccoli as a side dish, stir-fried with some garlic slivers, crushed ginger, and olive oil (or some other safe oil for your DS).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ooh, that's a tough one. Either soy, sesame, and coconut are pretty much in everything Asian, huh?

How about lemongrass chicken? http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lemongrass-chicken-october-2007

DH is Vietnamese and we make that a lot and it's delicious. You could do the broccoli as a side dish, stir-fried with some garlic slivers, crushed ginger, and olive oil (or some other safe oil for your DS).

Here's another Vietnamese-style recipe with no soy (says you use fish sauce OR soy): http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6186-vietnamese-stir-fried-vegetables-with-chicken-or-shrimp

It's a little more American and has the veggies in it.

There's also caramel chicken, which is insanely delicious (sort of a sweet-and-sour thing): http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2009/09/caramelized-chicken-ga-kho.html (omit the sesame). (For this, you'd probably serve veggies on the side as I said above, or more traditionally, you'd make a soup with veggies to serve with the meal).

I'll try to come up with more. Vietnamese might be a good vein to mine since they do use soy, but less so than Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and fish sauce is the primary flavor in many dishes.

[Anonymous]

Is he allergic to nut and nut milks as well: sorry but I don't know if beans included these?
If not, you could make an Asian peanut sauce subbing in almond milk for coconut and salt instead of soy sauce, and use that as the stir fry sauce.

http://rasamalaysia.com/thai-peanut-sauce/2/

[Anonymous]

You are not very specific. It sounds like you are looking for a substitute for soy sauce in Asian stir fried dishes? If it is a Chinese flavour in stir fries that you are after, then soy sauce is absolutely unnecessary. Texture and colour are key - crunchy veg, and silky meat, cut uniformly small and cooked quickly over high heat. Aromatics like fresh ginger, garlic, chilies, and scallions lend a typically Chinese flavour, as do herbs like cilantro, Chinese chives, and a splash of sesame oil just before serving. Marinate the meat in salt, white pepper, a splash of mirin, or dry sherry and a little sugar, some dried chili flakes, perhaps some fermented black beans, and a little cornflour. Sear the meat in the wok, and add a cup or so of water to simmer it for just a minute or so. This will give you your 'sauce', much lighter and cleaner tasting than the thick, gloopy, salty brown sauces often associated with Chinese stir fries.

http://www.thekitchn.com/what-can-i-use-as-a-soy-sauce-substitute-222563

This may be helpful for you. Skip the beans and sesame oil. I have done this by accident(left out the soy sauces) and really do not miss it. Also some oyster sauces and fish sauce do not have soy in it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ooh, that's a tough one. Either soy, sesame, and coconut are pretty much in everything Asian, huh?

How about lemongrass chicken? http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lemongrass-chicken-october-2007

DH is Vietnamese and we make that a lot and it's delicious. You could do the broccoli as a side dish, stir-fried with some garlic slivers, crushed ginger, and olive oil (or some other safe oil for your DS).

Here's another Vietnamese-style recipe with no soy (says you use fish sauce OR soy): http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6186-vietnamese-stir-fried-vegetables-with-chicken-or-shrimp

It's a little more American and has the veggies in it.

There's also caramel chicken, which is insanely delicious (sort of a sweet-and-sour thing): http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2009/09/caramelized-chicken-ga-kho.html (omit the sesame). (For this, you'd probably serve veggies on the side as I said above, or more traditionally, you'd make a soup with veggies to serve with the meal).

I'll try to come up with more. Vietnamese might be a good vein to mine since they do use soy, but less so than Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and fish sauce is the primary flavor in many dishes.

PP back again. If he's okay with plum sauce, you might also want to make tonkatsu sometime if you're craving Asian (though it's not a stir-fry and uses pork, so not this time): http://www.justonecookbook.com/tonkatsu/

You'd use the plum sauce as the sauce for the tonkatsu. I can't think of how you'd use it in a stir-fry...I've always seen it as a dip or sauce added after the food's cooked.

[Anonymous]

You can do Pad Thai. We use sweet salted preserved turnips (chopped fine) like this http://www.templeofthai.com/food/pickled_preserved/pickledradish-2411061106.php
for the salty flavor, plus softened rice noodles, pork, shrimp, egg, broccoli, whatever.
Same turnips can be stir fried with red bell pepper, chicken & ginger.
As for curries, maybe try almond milk instead of coconut, and salt instead of soy sauce?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ooh, that's a tough one. Either soy, sesame, and coconut are pretty much in everything Asian, huh?

How about lemongrass chicken? http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lemongrass-chicken-october-2007

DH is Vietnamese and we make that a lot and it's delicious. You could do the broccoli as a side dish, stir-fried with some garlic slivers, crushed ginger, and olive oil (or some other safe oil for your DS).

Here's another Vietnamese-style recipe with no soy (says you use fish sauce OR soy): http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6186-vietnamese-stir-fried-vegetables-with-chicken-or-shrimp

It's a little more American and has the veggies in it.

There's also caramel chicken, which is insanely delicious (sort of a sweet-and-sour thing): http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2009/09/caramelized-chicken-ga-kho.html (omit the sesame). (For this, you'd probably serve veggies on the side as I said above, or more traditionally, you'd make a soup with veggies to serve with the meal).

I'll try to come up with more. Vietnamese might be a good vein to mine since they do use soy, but less so than Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and fish sauce is the primary flavor in many dishes.

PP back again. If he's okay with plum sauce, you might also want to make tonkatsu sometime if you're craving Asian (though it's not a stir-fry and uses pork, so not this time): http://www.justonecookbook.com/tonkatsu/

You'd use the plum sauce as the sauce for the tonkatsu. I can't think of how you'd use it in a stir-fry...I've always seen it as a dip or sauce added after the food's cooked.

Op here. Thanks so much! The lemongrass chicken looks delicious. I am not sure DS will like the flavor (he's picky on top of his allergies, I think because he's had so many bad experiences he's very risk-adverse), but I will definitely make it for DH and I one night and try the leftovers on DS. The carmalized chicken looks great too and brown sugar is one of DS's favorite things, so maybe I'll try to "sell" that one first.

DS is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, too. I could try a sunbutter substitute for peanut sauce maybe -- I'll have to think about that. (thanks also, and sorry, to the PP's who suggested almond milk. I should have specified nuts but didn't think about it/just thought I'd leave them out if a sprinkling on top). I miss Asian food sooooo much. On our very sporadic date nights, it's what DH and I crave most.

Thanks to 14:36, too. That is what I was going for, except I was hoping for quantities. I cook often, though not Asian in a long time, so I can wing it, I guess. Without the sesame.

[Anonymous]

I've done a simple stir fry with grated fresh ginger, scallions and lemon juice. It's good with either chicken or pork, and lots of vegetables.

[Anonymous]

Fish sauce is a nice substitute for soy sauce. You really don't need broth. Fish flavor will overpower it. Mix 1 part fish sauce, 2 parts water, some sugar and corn starch to thicken.

[Anonymous]

You can substitute liquid aminos for soy sauce. I actually prefer it because its milder. Really good though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can substitute liquid aminos for soy sauce. I actually prefer it because its milder. Really good though.

It's still soy, and she can't use the coconut aminos as coconut is out.

[Anonymous]

How about making a modified sweet and sour sauce? I make one that has vinegar, sugar, dry sherry, ketchup, and soy sauce (plus corn starch to thicken). You would leave out the soy sauce, maybe put in a dash of fish sauce for the umami element.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can substitute liquid aminos for soy sauce. I actually prefer it because its milder. Really good though.

It's still soy, and she can't use the coconut aminos as coconut is out.

Yeah those are both no-gos, but she COULD try a little Maggi seasoning (would need to dilute it with water to sub for soy sauce), or one of the DIY soy-free soy sauces -- I've seen recipes for mushroom broth-based ones and beef-broth/balsamic/molasses-based ones.


Or, maybe a miso-based stirfry? Assuming you are able to find one of the non-soy misos that are out there (some are cultured on barley or chickpeas and therefore soy-free!)