Filipino Chopsuey Recipe with UmamiBee Dish Lifter
Updated: 7 days ago
MotherBee's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Savoury, lightly glossy sauce with clean vegetable flavour and a deep umami base.
Texture: Crisp-tender vegetables with juicy protein in a light, clingy sauce.
Ease: Allow about 30 to 35 minutes including preparation.
Why You'll Love It: Nutritious, fast, and endlessly flexible. The weeknight hero of Filipino cooking.
Hello, I am MotherBee, and Chopsuey saved many a busy weeknight in our household. Colourful, crisp, packed with vegetables, and on the table in about 30 to 35 minutes. It is humble food that tastes extraordinary when you get the heat right.
Today we are making Filipino Chopsuey using UmamiBee Dish Lifter as the saute base. It replaces the garlic and onion instantly and gives the sauce a fermented umami depth that coats every vegetable beautifully.
Origin and Historical Background
Chopsuey arrived in the Philippines through the Chinese-Filipino (Tsinoy) community, originally from Cantonese tsap seui meaning mixed bits. Filipino cooks adopted and adapted it over generations, adding local vegetables, quail eggs, and a heavier sauce that made it their own.
Today Filipino Chopsuey appears at carenderias, fiestas, and family tables across the country. It is flexible, uses whatever vegetables are in season, and carries the DNA of two food cultures in one wok.
What Does Chopsuey Mean?
Chopsuey comes from Cantonese tsap seui meaning mixed bits. In the Filipino kitchen it has come to mean a vibrant stir fry of mixed vegetables with protein in a savoury sauce. Its greatest strength is flexibility.
Modern Versions and Regional Variations
Traditional versions use chicken liver and gizzard. Modern versions use chicken breast, pork, shrimp, or tofu. Vegetarian Chopsuey is one of the most popular healthy meal options in Filipino households today.
Pampanga: Often includes chicken liver and gizzard for a richer, more intensely flavoured sauce.
Cebu and Visayas: May include fresh shrimp or squid alongside the vegetables.
Recipe Card
Filipino Chopsuey with UmamiBee Dish Lifter
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
Tools needed: Large wok or wide pan, wooden spoon or spatula, sharp knife and chopping board, small bowl.
Ingredients
300g chicken breast or thigh, sliced thinly, or 300g pork loin, sliced thinly
1 (20g) tablespoon UmamiBee Dish Lifter (Stir Fry/Saute Umami Paste)
1 cup (100g) cauliflower florets
1 medium (100g) carrot, sliced diagonally
1 cup (80g) snap peas or snow peas
2 cups (120g) cabbage, cut into squares
1 cup (80g) young corn, halved
1 cup (60g) button mushrooms, halved
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water, optional
2 tablespoons cooking oil
10 to 12 boiled quail eggs, optional
Instructions
Step 1. Prepare all ingredients. Mix the oyster sauce and soy sauce in one bowl. If using the optional cornstarch slurry, keep it in a separate bowl and stir it again just before adding.
Step 2. Heat oil in a wok and stir fry the meat in batches until cooked through. Timing depends on slice thickness and pan heat. Check chicken reaches at least 75°C in the centre. Remove and set aside.
Step 3. Add UmamiBee Dish Lifter and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 4. Add carrots and cauliflower. Stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes.
Step 5. Add snap peas, young corn, and mushrooms. Stir fry for 2 more minutes.
Step 6. Add cabbage and toss quickly for 1 minute.
Step 7. Return the meat. Pour sauce over everything and toss well to coat. If using cornstarch slurry, add now and stir until glossy.
Step 8. Add quail eggs gently if using. Toss once. Serve immediately over steamed rice.
Tips for Success
Prep everything before you touch the wok. Stir frying moves fast. Once the wok is hot there is no time to stop and chop. Have every vegetable cut, every sauce ingredient measured, and your plates ready before you start.
Use maximum heat. High heat is what creates that signature smoky, slightly caramelised edge on vegetables. Too-low heat steams them instead and produces a soggy, dull result. This is the single most important tip.
Add vegetables in order of hardness. Carrots and cauliflower have dense cell walls and need more time. Cabbage has high water content and wilts in seconds. Staggering the additions means everything is perfect simultaneously.
Use the cornstarch slurry for a glossy finish. When added to a hot wok, cornstarch gelatinises instantly and creates a clingy, restaurant-style sauce that coats every piece evenly. Add it as the last step before removing from heat.
Do not overcrowd the wok. Too many ingredients at once drops the temperature and causes steaming instead of stir frying. If making a large batch, cook in two portions.
Serve immediately. Chopsuey loses its crunch within minutes of cooking. Have your bowls of rice ready and take the wok straight to the table.
Common Questions
Can I make a vegetarian version?
Yes. Use tofu instead of meat and a vegetarian mushroom sauce instead of oyster sauce. For a vegan version, also omit the quail eggs and check all condiment labels.
What vegetables can I substitute?
Almost any firm vegetable works: broccoli, bok choy, baby corn, water chestnuts, or capsicum. The key is cutting everything to a similar size and adding in order from hardest to softest.
Why are my vegetables soggy?
The heat was too low or the wok was overcrowded. Both cause vegetables to steam rather than stir fry. Use the highest heat your stove allows and cook in smaller batches if needed.
How do I get that glossy sauce?
Add a cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water) as the final step and toss over high heat for 30 seconds. The starch gelatinises instantly and creates a glossy, clingy coating.
Storage and Food Safety
Refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking and use within 2 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout. The vegetables will soften during storage, so this dish is best eaten fresh.
Estimated Nutrition (Per Serving)
Calories: 240 to 300 kcal | Carbohydrates: 14 to 18g | Protein: 20 to 25g | Fat: 10 to 14g | Sodium: 600 to 800mg
Estimated values only. Actual values vary based on exact ingredients used.
Health and Nutrition Notes
The mixed vegetables add variety and fibre, and chicken or tofu contributes protein. Oyster sauce, soy sauce and Dish Lifter all contribute sodium. Taste before adding further seasoning.
MotherBee's Notes
The biggest mistake people make with Chopsuey is the heat. They use medium heat because they are nervous. Use high heat. The wok should be screaming. The vegetables should sizzle the moment they hit the surface. That sound, that heat, is what separates a proper stir fry from a steamed vegetable dish.
#Chopsuey #FilipinoChopsuey #FilipinoFood #UmamiBee #UmamiBeeNZ #StirFry #VegetableStirFry #PinoyFood #NewZealandFilipino #QuickDinnerNZ
Comments