This is a recipe that’s been sitting in the back of my head and on my to do list for ages! With a trip to the local markets over the weekend I was spurred into action and armed with a basket of crunchy and colourful goodies, I knew it was time to throw a vegetable stir fry together.

It’s basically a super simple vegetable stir fry recipe that’s made a little more awesome by the addition of a homemade chilli, ginger chia jam. I used chia seeds to make a jam with far less sugar than your typical store brought sweet chilli sauce and I’m so happy with how it all came together! I could seriously eat bowl after bowl of this healthy, invigorating vegetable stir fry.

Packed with a rainbow of vegetables and lots of fresh ginger this simple stir fry is a truly nourishing dinner. Use your favourite in season veg and if you like your chilli sauce hot, add a few bird’s-eye chillies to give it an extra kick. I served this healthy vegetarian recipe with soba noodles because basically, I love any excuse to eat soba. You could serve it with brown rice, ramen noodles or really any rice or noodle variety you prefer.

The Chilli, Ginger Chia Jam should keep well in a jar in your fridge for a few weeks or more. The recipe makes enough for three or four stir-fries or try serving it as you would sweet chilli sauce in any of your favourite dishes.

CHILLI GINGER CHIA JAM
Preparation time: 35minutes // Makes around 2 cups

|| note: add 2 or 3 bird’s –eye chillies if you like it hot! ||

• 200g (7 oz) long red chillies
• good thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or raw brown sugar)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
• 3 tbs chia seeds
• 1½ tbs miso paste

Top and roughly slice the chillies. Roughly chop the ginger. Thrown the chillies, ginger and peeled garlic cloves into a food processor and pulse until finely diced. Set aside.

In a medium sized heavy based saucepan heat the sugar and vinegar over a low heat for a few minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Add the chilli, ginger and garlic mixture, plus the chia seeds and increase the heat to around medium, bringing everything to a gentle simmer.

Simmer, gently, uncover for around 20 minutes until the jam is thick. Add the miso paste and stir through until dissolved. Simmer for around 3 more minutes and then transfer while still hot to a sterilized jar.

The Chilli, Ginger Chia Jam should keep well for a few weeks or more in your fridge.

{adapted from a recipe found on SBS Food}

SPRING VEGETABLE STIR FRY w CHILLI GINGER CHIA JAM + SOBA
Preparation time: 25minutes (+ preparation time for the chilli jam) // Serves 4

|| note: you can omit the fresh ginger here if you don’t love it like crazy like I do. Use any seasonal veg you like and switch out the sweet basil for Thai basil if you prefer. Peanuts or cashew would be good too, instead of the almonds and you could use your favourite rice or noodles in place of the soba. ||

• small thumb sized piece of ginger
• 150g (5oz) spring carrots
• 150g (5 oz) yellow string beans
• 4 small radishes (approx. 50g/2oz)
• 1 small red capsicum/bell pepper (approx.150g/5 oz)
• 70g (2½ oz) snow peas
• 3 spring onions
• 1 tbs cold pressed coconut oil
• ¾ cup of Chilli, Ginger Chia Jam (as prepared above)
• 1 tbs miso paste
• 1 tbs tamari (more or less to taste)
• good handful of sweet basil + extra to serve
• ¼ cup flaked almonds
• 180g (6 oz) soba noodles, prepared to packet instructions

Slice the piece of ginger into thin strips. Set aside.

Scrub the carrots and slice them in half lengthways. Top and tail the yellow beans, thinly slice the radishes and slice the capsicum into strips. Set aside in a separate bowl.

Top the snow peas and slice in half, diagonally. Using the white part only, slice the spring onions diagonally also. Set aside in a separate bowl.

In a small saucepan or frying pan dry roast the flaked almonds until lightly brown and crisp, set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a wok or good-sized frying pan. When hot add the ginger and toss over a medium/high heat for a minute before adding the prepared carrots, yellow beans, radishes and capsicum. Toss vigorously for around 3-4 minutes.

Add the chilli, ginger jam, miso and tamari to taste, toss to combine well before adding the prepared snow peas and spring onions.

Toss for just a minute then remove from the heat and toss through the torn basil leaves. Check seasoning and adjust with tamari if needed.

Pile the stir-fried veg onto a serving platter, scatter over the toasted flaked almonds and extra torn basil leaves before serving immediately accompanied with the prepared soba noodles. Alternatively you can toss your noodles through the stir fry before serving.