Spiced Yam and Vegetable Stir Fry is made with rainbow fresh garden veggies is the perfect way to replenish your body as it is full of vitamins, nutrients and it takes less than 15 minutes from wok to table.
Spiced yam and vegetable stir fry is simply delicious!
I just love the combination of the naturally sweet yams, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and assorted vegetables tossed in with a touch of coconut oil in a wok. Sometimes, life is just beyond busy. We hardly have time to take care of ourselves more than even thinking about a meal to put on the table. That is exactly why you need this less than 15 minutes easy a delicious vegan, paleo friendly, cardiac friendly and gluten-free meal in your recipe rotation.
Be Good to your Spleen
Too many cold salads, smoothies and iced drinks are very hard on your body. I know you would think that is exactly what you need when it is hot outside, but think again. Did you know that in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in order to maintain a healthy metabolism one should eat and drink foods that are close temperature with their own body's temperature? Spiced Yam and Vegetable Stir Fry is a very nourishing meal with warming spiced. Please read how to Feed Your Spleen; Nourish Your Body to learn the how behind this and great menu plan ideas.
It is not uncommon at restaurants in Hong Kong to sit down and be served a nice "warm" glass of water on a hot summer day. Really!!! It is even common to stir fry your romaine lettuce instead of eating it cold.
Do you have cold or warm disposition?
This concept may sound strange at first, but it really does make a lot of sense. Keeping all of this Chinese medicine stuff as simple as possible, essentially there are cold people (people who have excess cold in their bodies) and warm people (people who have excess of heat in their bodies).
Spiced Yam and Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe is a very balanced dish.
- Yams or sweet potatoes are considered neutral
- Broccoli is considered cooling
- Tomatoes are cooling
- Spices like ginger and cinnamon are warming.
Usually, you will fall into one of their varying categories. I have never met a person yet, who had perfectly balanced disposition. Whether or not your body is of cold constitution or of warm constitution, excessive amounts of cold food (cold to the touch) and icy drinks can cause many problems. Be good to your body and eat warm and nourishing foods that are easy to digest.
Keeping Balance in your Body
When the body intakes food it needs to adjust the temperature in the stomach for the correct enzymes to work to digest our food into energy that our body can use. In people who are of cold constitution (More Yin), drinking and eating excessive cold causes a cascade of issues including stomach bloating and intestinal issues.
In people who are warm constitution (More Yang), the body can quickly get the stomach to warm temperature to help with digestion but the problem is that once the stomach temperature is elevated and it stays high and this can cause an overactive stomach to be hungry all the time, gain weight, have a dry mouth, etc. Introducing the Five Energies of Food is a great way to learn about what foods are considered cool or warm and in between.
Warming and Nourishing Stir Fry
As we are all trying to eat right, take good care of our health and getting a little bit older with each passing year, I am looking for holistic care and going back to the basics. Today's gently Spiced Yams and vegetable stir fry is a great way to eat your veggies perfectly cooked and warm. (Maybe on another day we can talk about food and spices and whether or not they fall into the cold category, neutral category or warming category) However, today spices in this recipe, do fall into the warm category so add the spices to taste and adjust for your own needs.
Spiced Yam and Vegetable Stir Fry is a perfectly adaptable recipe for what I call, "Clean out the refrigerator veggie drawer day". Use the vegetables you have in your crisper. Feel free to exchange the yams (sweet potatoes) with Asian sweet potatoes, I just used what I had in my crisper.
Order of Cooking Operations
The only word of advise that I can share with you is to cook the vegetables in order of how physically hard they are. It is really simple. I start out with a little coconut oil in the pan, just because I like it but use any cooking oil you prefer, and add the aromatics.
Next I add the chopped yams (sweet potatoes) as these are the hardest vegetable that needs to be cooked and I just add a couple of tablespoons of water and put on a lid and steam the yams in the wok. Then, I take the lid off and throw in the vegetables in order of harness such and stir fry them with the spices and you are done like dinner. It is that easy!!! You do not even need to make rice as it has filling sweet potatoes.
/div>More Easy Nourishing Warming Meals
Immune Boosting Chicken and Rice
Easy Pork Shiitake Mushroom Stir Fry
Beef and Peppers in Black Bean Sauce
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Spiced Yam and Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or oil of choice)
- ⅛ cup onion
chopped - 1 teaspoon ginger
or ½ teaspoon ground (adjust amounts for your own personal likes) - 1 clove garlic
peeled and minced - 1 yam (sweet potato or 2 small Asian Sweet potatoes)
- salt and pepper
to taste - 2-3 tablespoon water
- 1 cup broccoli
cut to bite sized pieces - ½ cup red bell pepper
chopped - ½ cup yellow bell pepper
- ⅓ cup tomato
cherry - ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon dried ground
Instructions
- In a wok/frying pan, add coconut oil, onion, ginger and garlic and saute until aromatic. Add yams (sweet potatoes), salt and pepper and 2-3 tablespoons of water and put lid on and steam yams (sweet potatoes) for about 3 minutes or just until fork aldente and the water is evaporated. (Don't overcook as you will be stir frying them for a few minutes longer with the rest of the vegetables)
- Remove the lid from you pan and add the broccoli and stir fry for 1-2 minutes, then add red pepper, yellow pepper and stir fry for 1-2 minutes and then add the tomato, cumin and cinnamon and toss lightly. Adjust seasoning as desired.
- Serve Spiced Yam and Vegetable Stir Fry warm and garnish with Thai basil, if desired. Enjoy!
kushi says
Love the flavors here. It looks so colorful and healthy too 🙂
ｒｉｋａ @ VM says
Yam is my favorite, my grandma always cook them in steamed rice! Your stir fry looks absolutely delicious!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Rika! Yams and sweet potatoes are so diverse that the recipe options are endless.
Anna @ shenANNAgans says
I did wonder how hard it is on our bodies to have to process cold stuff, although not sure I would enjoy being served a warm glass of water on a hot summer day too much either. I really want to add some bacon or some cured meat to this dish. Crazy meat eater I am.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend lovely one. Hugs from freezing cold Australia. x
Mary Frances says
Yum! I love a quick healthy stir fry!
cookituppaleo says
Delicious recipe and great photos! Will have to try; love finding new veggie recipes!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you! I am glad you like this recipe and looking forward to keeping in touch.
Jasline @ Foodie Baker says
I love the colours of this dish! A pity the prices of sweet potatoes sky-rocketed these few weeks, will perhaps swap with a squash! This looks so delicious!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Jasline a delicious squash would certainly be a simple and easy swap. I am not so certain they kabocha squash where you are living but maybe you will find something new and interesting to try.
Maggie | Omnivore's Cookbook says
I saw this the other day on G+, loved it! I never tried to use sweet potato in the stir-fry, and really attempted to try it out! What a beautiful and simple dish!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Nihao Maggie, 谢谢! What a special compliment coming from such a talented Chinese chef, thanks. I think next time if available in the wet market, I will also use sweet potato leaves in the stir fry to add at the end instead of spinach.
Sandra - The Foodie Affair says
I love sweet potatoes and I'm always looking for ways to eat them. Definitely going to try stir frying! Why have I never thought of that?? I can smell the aroma already! Delicious and gorgeous photos, Bobbi!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Sandra! You really can stir fry anything that can fit into your wok and the ideas and spice combinations are endless. I love sweet potatoes too and there is something so nourishing about them. Take Care
Robyn Gleason says
This is beautiful, Bobbi! I've been craving some hot meals lately so this is perfect. I love my salads and raw veggies but I think my body was telling me just what you said - it needs more! I love the colours in this dish and I'm a big fan of yams but never thought of using them in a stir fry - perfect! Beautiful photos - you are a pro!! Sharing, of course. Hope you enjoyed your weekend 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Robyn. I think we should listen to our bodies more as it knows what it needs..it is all about balance. Wishing you a super week. Take Care, BAM
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
YUM! This recipe is something I am adding to my TO MAKE this as I can eat ALL of these ingredients!! WOO WOO!
Healthy World Cuisine says
I am so glad you can enjoy this. I can too as it is gluten-free, dairy-free and also egg free and filled with delicious warming spices.
nagimaehashi says
I love yam, it's a stapled in Japanese cooking! But you know, I don't actually have any of my own recipes this is fantastic! I'm going to try this really soon!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Nagi-san! Sweet potatoes and also kabocha are so plentiful in Japanese cuisine and are delightful in some many dishes. I hope you give it a try.
Liz Berg says
Sounds like a wonderful way to eat the vegetables from the summer harvest! And sweet potatoes are such a delicious addition 🙂
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
This dish would make me the happiest woman in the room. It's gorgeous and I love everything in it.
nancyc says
What a beautiful dish and yummy way to use sweet potatoes! Adding to mr Healthy Food board! 🙂
Peachy A. says
I love Yams! and this is just the perfect Stir-Fry! I love it.