By
K. A. Miller
Photo: thumbs.ifood.tv
Chinese stir fry is one of the healthiest meals you can serve. Although it uses a fried style of cooking, which is generally unhealthy, stir fry uses very little oil, is cooked quick and at a high temperature. And, of course, it consists mainly of vegetables.
But like any dish, stir fry would be boring if you had it every day. However, there is a method to enjoy stir fry several days a week and have it taste totally different each time. And we will get to that shortly. But first let us discuss a basic stir fry.
You can make stir fry with only vegetables. Or you can make it with vegetables and meat. Popular meats used are shrimp, beef strips, pork and chicken. The meat should be marinated for 15-30 minutes before cooking. This can be done while you are chopping the vegetables.
A basic marinade sauce is:
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
For shrimp add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon chili powder to the above.
For vegetables you can use any or all of the following.
broccoli
cabbage, collard greens, spinach (chopped bite size)
bell peppers, onions (cut into strips)
celery (chopped)
carrots (julienne cut)
mushrooms (sliced)
garlic (minced)
green peas, water chestnuts, pineapple chunks, baby corn
Most supermarkets sell bags of frozen vegetables specifically for stir fry, however, you will find fresh vegetables more flavorful and healthier.
Cooking Technique:
1.Heat 2 tablespoons if oil (canola works good) in a wok on high heat
2.Reduce heat to medium high and add garlic, onions and meat (not shrimp). Stir until onions are soft and translucent and the meat is browned.
3.Remove ingredients to a small dish.
4.Add vegetables and stir for 3 minutes. Return ingredients removed in step 3 to wok. If using shrimp, add now. Stir fry another 2-3 minutes.
5.Taste vegetables for the degree of crunchiness you prefer. The longer you cook the softer they will become.
Now here's the secret to obtaining a different flavor while using the same vegetables. Sauce!
There are dozens of stir fry sauces available,, each with a distinctively different flavor. After step 5 above, add a couple of tablespoons of the sauce of your choice. Stir a few seconds and taste. Add additional sauce if needed. Remove from heat. And serve.
You can use any or a combination of the following sauces. Most all are available at major supermarkets.
Sweet Chili Sauce
Steak Sauce
Katsu Sauce
Sukiyaki Sauce
Tempura Sauce
Kotteri Mirin
Black Bean Sauce with Garlic
Hoisin Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Plum Sauce
Thai Style Chili Sauce
Thai Style Peanut Sauce
Wasabi Sauce
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
Unagi Sushi Sauce
Curry Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
You can also make you own sauces at home. There is a wealth of home made sauces recipes available on the web.
If stir fry cooking is new to you, the best way to learn is simply to practice as often as you can. It is not difficult and you will be cooking like the chef at your favorite oriental restaurant before you know it.
Photo: thumbs.ifood.tv
Chinese stir fry is one of the healthiest meals you can serve. Although it uses a fried style of cooking, which is generally unhealthy, stir fry uses very little oil, is cooked quick and at a high temperature. And, of course, it consists mainly of vegetables.
But like any dish, stir fry would be boring if you had it every day. However, there is a method to enjoy stir fry several days a week and have it taste totally different each time. And we will get to that shortly. But first let us discuss a basic stir fry.
You can make stir fry with only vegetables. Or you can make it with vegetables and meat. Popular meats used are shrimp, beef strips, pork and chicken. The meat should be marinated for 15-30 minutes before cooking. This can be done while you are chopping the vegetables.
A basic marinade sauce is:
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
For shrimp add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon chili powder to the above.
For vegetables you can use any or all of the following.
broccoli
cabbage, collard greens, spinach (chopped bite size)
bell peppers, onions (cut into strips)
celery (chopped)
carrots (julienne cut)
mushrooms (sliced)
garlic (minced)
green peas, water chestnuts, pineapple chunks, baby corn
Most supermarkets sell bags of frozen vegetables specifically for stir fry, however, you will find fresh vegetables more flavorful and healthier.
Cooking Technique:
1.Heat 2 tablespoons if oil (canola works good) in a wok on high heat
2.Reduce heat to medium high and add garlic, onions and meat (not shrimp). Stir until onions are soft and translucent and the meat is browned.
3.Remove ingredients to a small dish.
4.Add vegetables and stir for 3 minutes. Return ingredients removed in step 3 to wok. If using shrimp, add now. Stir fry another 2-3 minutes.
5.Taste vegetables for the degree of crunchiness you prefer. The longer you cook the softer they will become.
Now here's the secret to obtaining a different flavor while using the same vegetables. Sauce!
There are dozens of stir fry sauces available,, each with a distinctively different flavor. After step 5 above, add a couple of tablespoons of the sauce of your choice. Stir a few seconds and taste. Add additional sauce if needed. Remove from heat. And serve.
You can use any or a combination of the following sauces. Most all are available at major supermarkets.
Sweet Chili Sauce
Steak Sauce
Katsu Sauce
Sukiyaki Sauce
Tempura Sauce
Kotteri Mirin
Black Bean Sauce with Garlic
Hoisin Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Plum Sauce
Thai Style Chili Sauce
Thai Style Peanut Sauce
Wasabi Sauce
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
Unagi Sushi Sauce
Curry Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
You can also make you own sauces at home. There is a wealth of home made sauces recipes available on the web.
If stir fry cooking is new to you, the best way to learn is simply to practice as often as you can. It is not difficult and you will be cooking like the chef at your favorite oriental restaurant before you know it.
K. A. Miller is a freelance writer and webmaster for www.chineserecipes.itsallgud.com and www.olsouthrecipes.com where you will find great recipes for the everyday home cook.
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http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K._A._MillerArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7456477
These look fantastic! What an awesome idea I can’t wait to try this!
ReplyDeleteThank for sharing
I agree to you. This recipe looks tasty. I will try this later for my dinner. Anyway, I know also a site about stir fry recipe, just Click Here to visit the site. Thanks.
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