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The Basics: How to Make a Veggie Stir-Fry
A quick, healthy dinner
From the store to the kitchen to the table: We outline the steps that get you from something raw to something cooked using simple ingredients, free of measurements and complicated techniques. A method that you can have in your back pocket and whip out whenever you like. We call it recipe-free cooking.
- a vegetable peeler
- a knife
- a large frying pan
- a wooden spoon
- three garlic cloves
- a knob of fresh ginger
- a half pound of vegetables (go for a good combo of colors and textures, e.g., mushrooms, snap peas, and peppers)
- vegetable oil
- salt
- sherry or white wine
- soy sauce
Illustrations by Bill Russell
I love this recipe. I added this delicious Vietnamese Brown Rice Noodles with Organic Green Tea from Star Anise Foods in, the noodles cook in 2 mins. Perfect to add additional nutrition. The Happy Pho range is perfect for vegan too - and so delicious.
I second the corn (or potato) starch suggestion. It's clutch if you want it to have the chinese-stir-fry-thing going on. Otherwise it's mediterranean in a wok.
Here's the way I do it. Start with Garlic and ginger in some canola or peanut oil.. Brown super fast (under 1 minute) and then throw in about half a cup to a cup of any or all of the following: chicken stock, water, mirin, cheap sake,...+READ
I second the corn (or potato) starch suggestion. It's clutch if you want it to have the chinese-stir-fry-thing going on. Otherwise it's mediterranean in a wok.
Here's the way I do it. Start with Garlic and ginger in some canola or peanut oil.. Brown super fast (under 1 minute) and then throw in about half a cup to a cup of any or all of the following: chicken stock, water, mirin, cheap sake, rice wine vinegar (toss in the acid first to deglaze the garlic/ginger juices). Throw in veggies (not all at once - time their cooking appropriately) Let that boil/steam your veg till they are almost done and then throw in a premixed little bowl (about a half cup) of soy, starch, sugar (palm sugar if you can get it). Let cook down for a minute. Et Voila!-COLLAPSE
I am surprised to see the garlic added so early here. Garlic burns so easily and needs such a short cooking time over high heat, I always add it last. I even mix it with a tiny bit of oil to protect it from the hot pan. Then I put it in and cook it just until I can smell it, for about 30 seconds to a minute, then kill the heat and stir it into the vegetables.
I agree that veggies like broccoli...+READ
I am surprised to see the garlic added so early here. Garlic burns so easily and needs such a short cooking time over high heat, I always add it last. I even mix it with a tiny bit of oil to protect it from the hot pan. Then I put it in and cook it just until I can smell it, for about 30 seconds to a minute, then kill the heat and stir it into the vegetables.
I agree that veggies like broccoli and cauliflower can benefit from a bit of steaming, too. I do mine right in the skillet. I start out with those vegetables first, put in a little water and cover the skillet so they can steam for a few minutes, then uncover it and let the last bit of water boil off. Then I add a bit of oil and my other veggies. I do all this over the highest heat I can get out of my burner, and even with that much heat I have never felt the need for a wok. I think if you were working in a restaurant kitchen with many more thousands of BTUs than you can get out of a home cooktop, you might have more of a need for a wok where you can create hotter and cooler zones in the pan. For me a skillet works just fine.-COLLAPSE
In my opinion, this process can use a lot of improvement.
Suggestions:
1) Many of the other users’ suggestions are very good;
2) Use a Wok - a round bottom one over gas is best with as high heat as possible but an electric one even with a flat bottom will work. Scrape vegetables up the sides to control cooking so they won't burn and makes the process much easier.
3) If you want to eat much...+READ
In my opinion, this process can use a lot of improvement.
Suggestions:
1) Many of the other users’ suggestions are very good;
2) Use a Wok - a round bottom one over gas is best with as high heat as possible but an electric one even with a flat bottom will work. Scrape vegetables up the sides to control cooking so they won't burn and makes the process much easier.
3) If you want to eat much healthier, eliminate most if not all of the oil at the start and add a bit of water or stock as needed. Then cover so you actually are steaming, removing and replacing the lid frequently, stir frequently and remember to cook only until crisp as you don't want mushy vegetables.
4) Use an Asian vegetable cleaver or other thin light cleaver helps. Use the large flat side of the cleave to pick up and place the chopped items in the pan.
5) Grate the ginger with a fine zest grater works well.
6) Eliminate the salt completely because soy sauce even the reduced salt type is VERY salty and all the salt you need will be in it.
7) Consider adding herbs, spices and flavorings during cooking or afterwards. Some I use regularly are stocks (chicken, beef and vegetable), dark and light soy sauce, ginger, garlic, basil, coriander (fresh), coriander (ground), thyme, curry powder or paste, hot peppers, sesame oil (very small amounts first to taste as can be over powering), oyster sauce, black bean sauce, fish sauce even a bit of tomato paste or sauce all are great.
8) Consider garnishes: egg/omelet chopped, fresh coriander, chopped green onions, chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, bacon, banana slices, fruit sliced and finely grated carrots or coconut.
9) Remember to add the vegetables according to the time they need to cook so things like carrots or onions go in first, green beans go next and green peppers or broccoli go last otherwise they will be soggy.
The combinations are endless and this process allows you a continuous variety of health meals all with one very fast process.
If you decide you want meat, cook it first with the garlic and ginger, remove it from the pan and add it back to the vegetables at the last minute.-COLLAPSE
I like to microwave some brown rice for this and add it to the pan. Then, I warm up pita bread for about 20 seconds and put the veggie-rice mixture in the pita bread.
Try Wondra instead of corn starch, it's great for thickening. Make a past first as mentioned.
We already eat corn starch, syrup in just about everything as it is.
If you stir fry some chicken and sear it, you can use that fond as the thinkening agent with a little Wondra.
sugar instead of salt ... thanks for the tip!
Ah, I must be really good, cause I just toss it in and whisk. I guess a slurry would be safer, but I've never had a problem. it's not like you can walk away from a stir fry, anyhow.
Try a drizzle of toasted sesame oil at the end. Also, choose a vegetable oil that stands up to high heat, like peanut or canola oil.
Some veggies, like broccoli, may benefit from a little steaming first (I just do it in the microwave). If you have some veggies that are denser and take longer to cook than others, throw them in first, then add ones that just need a real quick blast of heat later.
...+READ
Try a drizzle of toasted sesame oil at the end. Also, choose a vegetable oil that stands up to high heat, like peanut or canola oil.
Some veggies, like broccoli, may benefit from a little steaming first (I just do it in the microwave). If you have some veggies that are denser and take longer to cook than others, throw them in first, then add ones that just need a real quick blast of heat later.
And for thickening the sauce, don't just toss the cornstarch into the hot liquid, as Diana suggest; unless you're really good at very quickly and vigorously whisking it in, you may get little starch globs. Mix the cornstarch with a little cold water before adding.-COLLAPSE
sounds yummy.
now I just need someone to make this for me.
also, if you want to be authentic, instead of the white wine, add mirin a little rice wine vinegar, a dash of sugar (yes, sugar) and soy sauce
Forget seasoning with salt throughout the process, just use a little more soy. The salt will pull out too much water from the veggies, and make them steam rather than fry, even without a lid. This could make it mushy! If you like a thicker "sauce",...+READ
also, if you want to be authentic, instead of the white wine, add mirin a little rice wine vinegar, a dash of sugar (yes, sugar) and soy sauce
Forget seasoning with salt throughout the process, just use a little more soy. The salt will pull out too much water from the veggies, and make them steam rather than fry, even without a lid. This could make it mushy! If you like a thicker "sauce", remove the veggies, laving the juices, and toss in a little cornstarch (whilst the heat is on) let it cook for two minutes to thicken.
In many Chinese restaurants, the veggies are tossed in the deep fryer for a second or two before stir frying. Oop! there goes the whole "healthy eating out" thing.-COLLAPSE