Asparagus Stir-Fry with Cloud Ear, Mushroom and Carrot

Why people make this stir-fry

Bro Niu notes that early-stage high blood pressure often shows up as dizziness, tinnitus, heart palpitations, poor sleep and forgetfulness — sometimes with numbness in the limbs. Keeping a daily blood pressure log is a sensible first step. Alongside that, adding more plant-based dishes to the diet is something Chinese food therapy has long advocated. This colourful stir-fry — asparagus paired with cloud ear mushroom, button mushrooms and carrot — is one of Bro Niu’s favourites: it comes together quickly, tastes genuinely good, and the ingredients have excellent traditional credentials for supporting vascular health.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for people managing high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, diabetes, or anyone who simply wants to eat more vegetables
• Appropriate for vegetarians (use soy sauce and sesame oil in place of oyster sauce)
• No specific cautions for healthy adults

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Asparagus (lu sun): Rich in potassium, folate and asparagine; traditionally considered helpful for clearing excess heat and supporting the kidneys and heart; modern nutrition regards it as a valuable low-calorie vegetable for vascular health
• Cloud ear mushroom (yun er): Related to black wood-ear, with a more tender texture; traditionally associated with supporting blood flow and reducing blood stagnation; rich in soluble fibre and polysaccharides
• Button mushrooms (mo gu): High in protein and low in fat; traditionally thought to calm the stomach and support immunity
• Carrot (hong luo bo): Rich in beta-carotene; traditionally associated with supporting the eyes and liver and with reducing blood lipids

Ingredients (2–3 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Asparagus	225 g	Peel a little of the tough base; cut into sections
Dried cloud ear mushroom	1 small handful	Soak until soft, remove tough stem
Button mushrooms	10 pieces	Rinse clean
Carrot	1 short section	Peel, cut into thick batons
Garlic	small amount	Minced
Oyster sauce	to taste	Can substitute soy sauce for vegetarian
Cooking wine, salt, cornstarch	to taste	For seasoning and light thickening
Cooking oil	sufficient	For stir-frying

Method

1. Trim the asparagus, peeling a little of the tougher base skin, then cut into sections.
2. Soak the dried cloud ear mushrooms in water until softened (about 20 minutes), then trim off the tough stem and rinse clean.
3. Rinse the button mushrooms. Peel and cut the carrot into thick batons. Mince the garlic.
4. Heat oil in a wok until hot. Stir-fry the garlic briefly until fragrant.
5. Add the asparagus, cloud ear mushrooms, carrot and button mushrooms. Stir-fry over high heat until everything is fragrant and starting to soften.
6. Add a splash of cooking wine, oyster sauce, salt to taste and a small amount of water.
7. Cook for a further couple of minutes, then add a small amount of cornstarch dissolved in water to make a light sauce. Toss together and serve.

Bro Niu’s tips

This dish is well-suited to those with high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. It is a genuinely versatile vegetable stir-fry that fits easily into any weekday meal. Cloud ear mushroom and black wood-ear mushroom are both wood ear varieties — cloud ear (yun er) is more tender and suits stir-fries well, while black wood-ear (hei mu er) is larger and firmer, better suited for soups and thickened dishes. Black wood-ear also has a somewhat stronger blood-supporting and stasis-clearing quality.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (黎太): What is the difference between cloud ear mushroom and black wood-ear mushroom? When should I use each? Bro Niu: Both are wood-ear varieties. Cloud ear (yun er) is more tender and silky in texture, making it ideal for stir-fries and dishes. Black wood-ear (hei mu er) is larger and more crunchy, better for soups and thickened dishes where you want it cut into strips. Black wood-ear also has a stronger ability to nourish the blood and clear blood stagnation.

• Q (Ada): I am 60 and have frozen shoulder (shoulder periarthritis). What food therapy might help reduce the pain? Bro Niu: You can try a soup with bei qi (astragalus), gui zhi (cinnamon twig), bai shao, dang gui wei, chi shao and chuan xiong, with ginger and red dates, about 5 cups of water simmered down to 2 cups, taken for 3 consecutive doses. For vaginal dryness related to menopause, eating more sea cucumber and fish maw and making a soup with sha shen, yu zhu, mai dong and tian dong would be helpful.

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Published August 29, 2014 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.