Name: Ostrich Chop Suey
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 400 g ostrich cubes; 1 tsp grated garlic; 2 green onions, sliced; 2 carrots, peeled and julienned; 1 handful mangetout ((around 150g)); 100 g mushrooms; 2 tsp grated garlic; 2 tsp grated ginger; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 pinch ground cloves; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tsp brown sugar; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes ((optional)); 1/4 cup water

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Bowl of rice and a serving of ostrich chop suey.

Enticing bowl, don’t you think? This ostrich chop suey not only looks appealing but it packs a punch in terms of flavour and comes together in 30 minutes.
Chop suey is a stir fry dish which literally translates to assortment of bites. This Chinese recipe integrated the sino-Mauritian repertoire to become a national favourite.

Oval plate of chop suey with asian ingredient background.

Chicken chop suey is more popular than the meat version at our homes. However, we chose to add a South African twist to our recipe by using ostrich. A combination of ginger, garlic, chilli and soy add a glorious flavour to the ostrich.
There are no hard and fast rules as to which vegetables or ‘bites’ should feature in the chop suey. Our family recipes commonly include carrots, mushrooms, mange-tout and bamboo shoots.

Styling of soy sauce being poured in small dip bowl containing grated ginger and garlic.

For our version of this dish, we kept things rather simple and time-efficient, going for thinly sliced ostrich marinated for 15 minutes before being pan fried. We sautéed carrots, mushrooms and mange-tout, added in an umami-packed sauce before stirring in the fried ostrich.

Eating a piece of ostrich using a chop stick

QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THIS CHOP SUEY

Can I use another meat besides ostrich?
Absolutely! You can use thin slices of beef or any other meat of your choice. It helps the slicing process if the meat is partially frozen.

Is it important to cook the meat in a single layer?
Yes, the best results will only come from cooking the meat in batches. However, since you cook the meat for less than a minute on each side, it is a deceivingly quick step!

What other vegetables work well in a chop suey?
Babycorn, peppers, broccoli also work great.

Ostrich Chop Suey

Easy to make and adaptable ostrich chop suey recipe. Ready in 30 minutes or less, this stir fry of ostrich with vegetables is packed full of flavour!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Course Main Course

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the stir fry

3 tbsp olive oil
400 g ostrich cubes
1 tsp grated garlic
2 green onions, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 handful mangetout (around 150g)
100 g mushrooms

For the marinade

2 tsp grated garlic
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch

For the sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup water

Instructions

Combine all ingredients for the marinade, except for the cornstarch and add in the thinly sliced ostrich meat.
After 10 minutes stir in the cornstarch.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat.
Cook the ostrich in a single layer, in batches, for a minute on each side. Then, remove and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil over medium high and add the stir fry ingredients: garlic, carrots, green onions, mushrooms and mange-tout and stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add the sauce ingredients- soy sauce, sugar, water, chilli flakes, and the reserved ostrich, stirring to combine.
Cook for a minute for the sauce to thicken before taking off the heat.
Serve with jasmine/fluffy rice.