Cornstarch is key
My dad uses cornstarch in almost everything he makes. In this particular dish, cornstarch (mixed with water) helps thicken the consistency of the sauces.
It also acts as a "glue", binding the flavorful sauces and spices to the chicken & veggies.
Selecting vegetables
This dish is fairly flexible in terms of what types of veggies you can use. You can't go wrong with the veggies my parents went with.
The main thing to keep in mind is to select veggies that don't release a lot of water when cooking.
According to my dad, to truly master this dish, you shouldn't have any water pooled at the bottom of your plate or wok after everything has been cooked.
Safe substitutes or additions: mushrooms, broccoli
Some veggies to avoid: bok choy, gailan
My parents list off what to try and what to avoid here:
Finding Asian Ingredients
Some of these ingredients are hard to find in a typical grocery store.
If you don't live near an Asian market, most of what my dad uses can be found on Amazon:
These links are affiliate links, which means that if you use our links to purchase these ingredients, Amazon pays my family a small amount for the sale - at no extra cost to you. If you use these links, we really appreciate the support!