Beef stir-fried with sweet peppers and onion
Tender marinated beef stir-fried fast with red and yellow peppers and onion — colourful, simply seasoned and easy for sensitive constitutions to trust.
- 28 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Special, allergy-prone constitutions do best with fresh, simple food, and Major Heat's muggy weather brings sweat rashes and itching, so seafood and rich sauces are best avoided. Beef strengthens the spleen and builds qi and blood and is a less allergenic meat; peppers bring vitamin C and onion whets the appetite. Quickly stir-fried with a short, clear ingredient list, it's easy to trust.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 8 min- 1Massage the beef with half the light soy, the cornflour and the water until absorbed, then coat with a little oil and marinate for 15 minutes.
- 2Slice the onion; deseed the peppers and cut into strips.
- 3Heat half the oil and stir-fry the beef over a high heat until about 70% cooked, then lift out.
- 4Add the remaining oil and the ginger, fry the onion until fragrant, then add the peppers and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Return the beef, add the dark soy, sugar and remaining light soy, toss and serve.
Cautions
- Avoid if sensitive to beef or nightshades such as peppers; some people find beef worsens eczema flares, so use pork fillet instead then.
Chef's tips
- Slice the beef against the grain and massage in the water until absorbed for tender results; don't overcook the peppers, so they stay crisp and bright.
The TCM view
Beef is sweet and warm, strengthening the spleen and stomach, building qi and blood and fortifying sinew and bone. Sweet pepper is sweet and neutral to slightly warm, aiding digestion without the heat of chillies; onion is pungent and warm, moving qi and settling the stomach; ginger harmonises the stomach. Nourishing without heaviness, it strengthens the spleen without adding damp or heat — suitable for special constitutions in summer.
