stir frying

[justineo]

i can never get my vegetables right when I'm stir frying them.  They are either really undercooked (I like fairly crunchy) or I have to cook them for ages which seems to be missing the point somehow.  Could it be the oil is not hot enough?

[Cetti]

After many pathetic attempts at stir-frying the answer came attached to a new Ken Hom wok.

 His top tips 1) Heat the wok to high first then add one or two tablsp oil.2) If wok becomes dry while cooking add a tablsp of water not more oil.

It's essential for both wok, then oil + wok to be very hot - just smoking in fact, then work quickly.

[Sasha13]

Also best to add veg according to cooking time - for example, peppers and onions take longer to cook than beansprouts which only take a minute as they're supposed to be eaten crunchy.  

[justineo]

Thanks Cetti and Sasha, will try those suggestions

[Pinotage]

Cut the veggies in similar sized pieces. Dense veggies (eg carrots) will take longer than less dense ones (eg bean sprouts) so either put dense ones in first of cut them smaller.

Heat pan very very hot before adding, and stir quickly to cover all veggies with oil. Don't add too much. Cook in small batches.

[Pinotage]

I forgot to add - cut them on the bias, this there is more surface area

[depressedmgl]

cetti and pinotage have hit the key -  a hot wok.  Unjfortunately, many gas rings just dont work too well with woks, the ones with the double burners, an inner one and an outer one, work best

[Richard Head]

Sod the wok. Get a few pints of lager down you before calling in to the takeaway. Whilst waiting for your chinese chips with curry sauce to arrive tell the young girl taking orders that she was bloody good in Pearl Harbour & how much you would love to give her a pearl necklace. Eat takeaway on way home whilst singing "Vindaloo" at the top of your voice, stagger upstairs, puke up in bog, collapse in bed.

 

The perfect stirfry