Three-Cup Vegetables

In line at the buffet table at our local kosher Chinese restaurant (OBM, sigh), my eyes fixated on the pan of glazed sweet potatoes. Blanketed in a glossy, dark, sweet, and umami-flavored teriyaki sauce, they beckoned invitingly. For many years I tried to duplicate this dish at home without success. With the publication of this recipe for three-cup vegetables by Ali Slagle in the New York Times, I was intrigued. Cooked in soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil, and loaded with whole garlic cloves and slices of ginger, these vegetables are reminiscent of my favorite buffet dish.

Three-Cup Vegetables

Three-cup chicken is a traditional Taiwanese dish filled with robust and savory flavors. In this vegan version of the recipe, root vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips and butternut squash support the classic sweet and salty flavors well. It’s always worthwhile reading the cooking notes and comments for recipes published in the New York Times. The recipe as written, is prepared in a skillet on top of the stove.  However, I noticed a number of readers reported successfully making this dish by roasting the vegetables in the oven until the sauce caramelized. My curiosity was piqued by these comments, and not one to shirk my responsibilities to the readers of this blog, I made this dish both ways. Cooked on top of the stove, the vegetables caramelized a bit more deeply but this small benefit was outweighed by the ease of preparation of making this dish in the oven. So choose your own adventure, 3-cup vegetables will be a hit at your table whichever way that you prepare them.

Assemble your ingredients. The original recipe as written called for  3/4 cup of Chinese rice wine. As per the recommendations of the New York Times readers, I reduced this amount to 1/4 cup. The suggestions for for Chinese rice wine substitutions included sake, dry white wine and mirin. Mirin is what I had in the cupboard and that is what I used. Feel free to use whichever of these products that you have handy. The recipe specifies six cups of root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and / or turnips (about two pounds). I added butternut squash to that list. You may use any or all of them.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is shimmering, add the vegetables, ginger and garlic and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender-crisp (not soft) and browned in spots. This should take about 7-10 minutes.

Combine the sauce ingredients. Add the sauce to the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened. The sauce should coat the vegetables without  much liquid remaining in the pan when done.

Alternatively, you can toss the vegetables in the sauce mixture and spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the vegetables at 425 F. until they caramelize. Wasn’t that easy?

The above picture is a side-by-side view of the vegetables prepared both ways. In the pan on the left, the vegetables were cooked in a skillet on top of the stove. In the pan on the right, the vegetables were roasted in the oven with the sauce. The vegetables on the left caramelized more deeply but the taste difference was almost negligible.

Print Recipe

Three-Cup Vegetables

Vegetables and Sides

By Ali Slagle, New York Times – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 25 minutes – Total Time: 35 minutes

Assorted root vegetables cooked in soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil, and loaded with whole garlic cloves and slices of ginger,

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
• 6 cups root vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips and /or butternut squash (about 2 pounds altogether), cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 10 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled, but left whole
• Sauce:
• 1/4 cup rice wine, OR mirin, OR dry white wine
• 6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Instructions

1

Peel and cube 6 cups of root vegetables of your choice. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup and set aside.

For stovetop method:

2

In a large frying pan or sauté pan, heat neutral-flavored oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the vegetables, ginger and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender crisp and start to brown in spots, about 7-10 minutes.

3

Lower the heat to medium and stir in the sauce ingredients. Cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are fork tender and the sauce has been reduced and coats the vegetables. Remove from heat and serve with rice or noodles if desired.

For oven method:

4

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5

Toss the vegetables with the sauce ingredients. Spread out the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 425 F. until the vegetables are tender and the sauce caramelizes and coats the vegetables, about 20-25 minutes.