"Stir frying is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok."
Stir-frying is a cooking method that involves quickly frying bite-sized pieces of food in a hot pan or wok with a small amount of oil, often accompanied by a variety of vegetables and sauces for a flavorful and nutritious meal.
Kitchen Safety: It is essential to have knowledge of kitchen safety when using high heat and oil while stir-frying.
Types of Stir-Fry Pans: Different types of stir-fry pans are available, and understanding them is crucial in choosing the right one for each recipe.
Heat Source: Choosing the right heat source is essential to stir-fry; gas stove, electric stove, or induction cooktops can all be used, with advantages and disadvantages with each.
Stir-Fry Techniques: From choosing the right cut of meat to slicing vegetables, understanding the basic stir-frying techniques is crucial in getting the perfect wok-fried dish.
Oil Selection: Your oil choice can change how your stir-fry turns out, so having knowledge of different oils and their smoke points is crucial.
Stir-Fry Sauces: Understanding the various sauces used in stir-frying like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce is crucial to unlock the flavor.
Vegetables: Understanding how to choose, wash, and slice different vegetables is key to perfecting any stir-fry dish.
Protein Choices: From choosing meat combinations to using tofu or shrimp, understanding how to prepare different protein types is crucial.
Stir-Fry Garnishes: Adding herbs to the stir-fry can enhance the aroma and flavor of the stir-fry.
Leftover Stir-Fry Uses: Leftover stir-fry can be used to make lunch the next day, so understanding how to store certain dishes is a valuable piece of information.
Pairing Stir-Fry with Rice: Learning how to cook perfect rice and how to pair it with different stir-fry dishes can be a game-changer.
Common Stir-Fry Mistakes: Understanding common mistakes that can occur with stir-frying can help avoid them, resulting in a delicious dish.
Popular Stir-Fry Recipes: From stir-fry noodles to beef and broccoli, learning how to make popular stir-fry dishes can spark creativity and inspire you to cook other dishes.
Classic stir-fry: A quick cooking method where small pieces of meat, vegetables, and aromatics are rapidly cooked over high heat in a wok or skillet, often seasoned with soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar.
Dry stir-frying: A technique of stir-frying without any added liquid, allowing the natural juices of the ingredients to be released and evaporate as the dish cooks. This method is best for vegetables that release a lot of moisture, such as cabbage.
Velvet stir-fry: A technique of marinating meat in a mixture of egg white and cornstarch before stir-frying, resulting in a tender and juicy meat with a silky texture.
Blanching stir-fry: A technique where the vegetables are first blanched in boiling water, then stir-fried quickly with the other ingredients, resulting in a tender and vibrant dish.
Low-fat stir-fry: A version of stir-frying that uses minimal oil or cooking spray, making it a healthier option.
Steam-fry: A technique that involves stir-frying the ingredients for a brief period, then adding a small amount of liquid (such as broth or water) and covering the wok, allowing the ingredients to steam and cook through.
Reverse stir-fry: A technique that involves cooking the ingredients in a reverse order, starting with the ones that take the longest time to cook (e.g. carrots, potatoes), and gradually adding the others (e.g. meat, leafy greens) towards the end.
"The technique originated in China."
"In recent centuries, it has spread into other parts of Asia and the West."
"It is similar to sautéing in Western cooking technique."
"Some scholars think that wok frying may have been used as early as the Han dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.) for drying grain."
"It was not until the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) that the wok reached its modern shape and allowed quick cooking in hot oil."
"However, there is research indicating that metal woks and stir-frying of dishes were already popular in the Song dynasty (960 – 1279)."
"The English-language term 'stir-fry' was coined by Yuen Ren Chao in Buwei Yang Chao's book How to Cook and Eat in Chinese (1945)."
"Although using 'stir-fry' as a noun is commonplace in English..."
"...in Chinese, the word 炒 (chǎo) is used as a verb or adjective only."
"Stir frying has been recommended as a healthy and appealing method of preparing vegetables, meats, and fish..."
"...provided calories are kept at a reasonable level."
"Some scholars think that wok frying may have been used as early as the Han dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.) for drying grain, not for cooking..."
"Stir-frying as a cooking technique is mentioned in the 6th-century A.D. Qimin Yaoshu."
"Stir frying has been recommended as a healthy and appealing method of preparing vegetables, meats, and fish..."
"...in Chinese, the word 炒 (chǎo) is used as a verb or adjective only."
"It is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil..."
"...while being stirred or tossed in a wok."
"It was not until the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) that the wok reached its modern shape and allowed quick cooking in hot oil."
"In recent centuries, it has spread into other parts of Asia and the West."