Vegetable Stir Fry
Q What’s the secret to making a good vegetable stir fry? Whhat are some good spices to use?
A I was asked a few weeks back about how to master stir frying. I don’t personally stir fry alot so I didn’t feel comfortable answering the question. Nevertheless, I was intrigued to see what I was missing, so I cooked a vegetable stir fry at home. Here’s what I found out.
It requires only one pan and I love one pot cooking! A wok or a very large stainless steel skillet. The temperature must be high and the oil hot to seal in the juices of the vegetables and to keep them tender and crisp. Make sure you are prepped and ready to roll before you start to cook. (good rule of thumb cooking anything!) Have all the ingredients neatly organized by the stove.
Cut the vegetables in precise cuts so that they will cook evenly. Julienne style or match stick cuts, thin half or quarter moons cuts and or thin cuts on the diagonal are the best cuts for stir frying. Heat the oil (toasted sesame is the strongest flavor) or canola, add the onions or leeks (always a base in stir fry) and minced fresh garlic and ginger.
Add the harder vegetables first as they will take the longest to cook. Potatoes, squashes, carrots then the medium vegetables like cabbages, string beans, broccoli, mushrooms, bel peppers, summer squash or zucchini. The lighter leafy greens will be the last to add like kale, bok choy, snow peas and of coarse the bean sprouts. Tofu and tempeh are great additions to a stir fry. Besides the garlic and ginger you might add fresh cilantro. And definitely douse with tamari (high quality soy sauce).
