Savory Yam Wood Ear and Carrot Stir Fry

If you’re searching for a dish that is incredibly quick, wonderfully light, and brings a delightful combination of textures to your plate, then you have found your new weeknight favorite. This stir-fry is a masterclass in simplicity, coming together in about 10 minutes from start to finish. It’s a gentle and savory dish, relying on the natural flavors of the vegetables rather than heavy sauces. The technique is a simple stir-fry, or more accurately, a quick sauté and simmer, making it virtually foolproof even for beginner cooks. The real magic lies in the textural interplay: the slight, satisfying crunch of the yam, the tender sweetness of the carrots, and the unique, chewy springiness of the wood ear mushrooms. It’s a nourishing, comforting meal that feels both wholesome and sophisticated.

Before you get started, let’s gather our ingredients. The list is short and simple, but a couple of items might be new to you. Don’t worry, they are worth seeking out and I’ve provided some easy-to-find alternatives.

Ingredients:

• Chinese Yam (山药, shānyào): 100g (about 3.5 oz), peeled and thinly sliced. This is not the orange sweet potato common in the West. Chinese yam (also known as nagaimo or cinnamon vine) has white flesh and a crisp, slightly slippery texture when cut. You can find it in most Asian supermarkets. Substitution: If you can’t find it, a great substitute for texture is canned sliced water chestnuts, drained. Jicama or even a firm, crisp pear could also work in a pinch for a similar crunch.
• Carrot: 100g (about 3.5 oz, or one medium carrot), peeled and thinly sliced.
• Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms (木耳, mù’ěr): 10g (about ⅓ oz). These are also called black fungus. They look like thin, crinkly, black paper when dry but bloom into wavy, gelatinous morsels when rehydrated. They offer a unique chewy texture. Find them in Asian markets or online. Substitution: While the texture is unique, you could use a similar weight of fresh shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced very thinly. The taste will be different, but still delicious.
• Neutral Cooking Oil: 15ml (1 tablespoon). Rice bran oil is used in the original recipe, but any neutral oil like grapeseed, avocado, or sunflower oil is perfect.
• Light Soy Sauce: 1 tablespoon. Also called “all-purpose” soy sauce. It provides the savory seasoning without making the dish too dark. Do not use dark soy sauce, as it is too strong.
• Water: About ¼ cup (60ml), or as needed.

Here’s the step-by-step guide to bringing this beautiful dish to life. The key is to have all your vegetables prepped and ready to go before you even turn on the stove, as the cooking process is very fast. Remember to rehydrate your dried wood ear mushrooms by soaking them in warm water for about 20-30 minutes until they are soft and fully expanded. Trim off any hard, gritty stems before slicing.

1. Pour your 15ml of neutral cooking oil into a wok or a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. You’ll know it’s ready when the oil shimmers slightly.
2. Add the 100g of sliced carrots to the hot pan. Sauté them for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until they become vibrant in color and are just starting to soften but still have a crisp bite.
3. Next, toss in the rehydrated and sliced wood ear mushrooms. Stir everything together and cook for another minute to let the mushrooms heat through and mingle with the carrots.
4. Carefully pour in a splash of water, just enough to create a bit of steam and prevent sticking.
5. Immediately cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium. Let the vegetables steam and simmer for about 5 minutes. This process will make the carrots perfectly tender without becoming mushy.
6. Uncover the pan and add the 100g of sliced Chinese yam. Gently stir it in and continue to cook for just 2 more minutes. The yam cooks very quickly, and we want to preserve its wonderful, subtle crunch. Overcooking will make it starchy.
7. Drizzle the tablespoon of light soy sauce over all the vegetables in the pan.
8. Give everything one final toss to ensure the soy sauce evenly coats all the ingredients. Once everything is heated through and well-mixed, turn off the heat. Your stir-fry is ready to serve!

The moment you plate this dish, you’ll be struck by its simple beauty—the bright orange of the carrots, the deep black of the mushrooms, and the creamy white of the yam. The taste is clean, savory, and incredibly satisfying. Each bite is a delightful journey of textures, from crisp to chewy to tender. This dish is fantastic served hot as a standalone light meal or as a vegetable side dish to accompany steamed rice and a simple protein like pan-seared tofu or grilled chicken. It’s proof that healthy, nourishing food can also be quick, easy, and an absolute joy to eat. I encourage you to give it a try! You might just discover a new favorite vegetable combination. Please let me know in the comments how yours turned out or if you discovered any fun variations!