These are called Tibetan vegetables because that's what the recipe that I found in the newspaper was called. No explanation was given. As usual, I adapted the recipe a little. The sesame seeds and sesame oil are my idea. The original called for olive oil and no seeds of any sort. I like to add seeds to food. They are full of vitamins, minerals and protiens. There are hundreds of different edible seeds and I try to always keep a good selection in my kitchen cupboard. Nuts of all kinds are great. I like pine nuts, almonds, cashews and walnuts best. Apricot stones are unusual. They have a fruity taste with a hint of almond. Some spices are seeds - cumin, anise, coriander, mustard - and they are just as packed full of nutrients as the others. Sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds are great in stir fries and salads.
So I chose to add sesame seeds to the Tibetan vegetables. You could add some other variety of seed if you like. Or you could change the ingredients completely. It's up to you. One thing I would suggest is that, if you can't get soy-bean sprouts, replace them with mung bean sprouts which are usually fairly easy to get hold of. Soy beans are easy to sprout (see here for details) but you might not have time to wait.
I should mention, since I started on about the health aspects of eating seeds, this is a very healthy dish altogether. High-fibre, low fat, extremely low-carb and loads of vitamins. What more could we ask for? Protein? Well, that's one of the reasons we put the seeds in.
Here's the recipe. Stick some Bhuddist chants on the CD player while you're doing it.
Ingredients
200g of broccoli
200g of cauliflower
200g of mushrooms
200g of soy bean sprouts
About a tablespoon of sesame seeds
A tablespoon of sesame oil (or even less)
A small glass of dry white wine
Salt
All the technique is in the cutting up of the vegetables. You have to get them into thin enough pieces to fry quickly (except the bean sprouts - they are okay as they are). Mushrooms are easy. Just slice them thinly. The broccoli and cauliflower, on the other hand, require a more careful approach. First separate the heads into florets then take a floret and slice into the stalk but not the flowering part. Slicing the flowering part results in a messy pile of little flower buds. Pull the pieces of stalk apart to tear the floret into two pieces. Repeat with each of the pieces until you have somereasonably thin bits. Practice this and you'll get good at it. It might be best to start with the broccoli as it's usually easier than the cauliflower.
When you have prepared the vegetables, heat the oil in a frying pan or wok until it begins to smoke. Throw in the vegetables with the sesame seeds and some salt and stir fry for six or seven minutes. Add the wine and cook until the alcohol evaporates.