5 easy steps to stir frying

Stir fry method of cooking is very healthy. It uses less oil and leaves the food crisp and not overly cooked, and thus not stripping out all the nutrients and vitamins from raw food especially vegetables. Stir frying only takes a matter of minutes if you follow these few easy steps.

1. Well equipped
Firstly, a wok is a must, not pan, a big round wok. A round-based one works well using gas burner while a flat based one works well on electric stoves. A good wok is heavy usually made of cast iron or carbonated steel, easily available is departmental store and Asian hardware shops. Teflon based just doesn’t give you the same rich flavor. When first purchased, the iron wok must be seasoned, heat the wok until smoke start rises from the wok, and then pour in a table spoon of peanut oil. Wipe the oil around the wok surface and throw away excessive oil. This way, all dirt will be removed from the wok surface. Secondly, a ladle is a must. Choose one with strong handle.

2. Prepare your ingredients
All raw meat and vegetable must be cut uniformly in thickness and size in advance. This is to ensure the food is evenly cooked. Once the wok is heated, there is not enough time to cut anymore. Rice and noodles need to be pre-cook, rice to be steamed while noodles to be boiled to soft.

3. Seasoning a must.
Before cooking the main ingredients, Asian usually put in chopped garlic or shallots to enhance the taste of stir fry dishes. When the wok is heated, oil is put in, then garlic or shallots are put in to fry until golden brown. Only then the main ingredients are put in.

4. Meat first, vegetables second
For stir frying, this is can be considered the golden rule. Always cook meat first, vegetables second. Meat is harder to cook compared to vegetables. If both are cook together, the vegetables tend to overcook. Meat or seafood must be marinated with a pinch of salt first. Always toss the ingredients for even cooking. When stir frying rice or noodles, the goldren rule still applies, always meat first.

5. Sauce and seasoning
Lastly, add sauce to your stir fry dish. Sauces, such as oyster sauce, or sweet and sour, thin and thick black soy sauce are added into the wok to complete the stir fry dish. Oyster sauce, thin and soya sauce is the most common, packaged in bottles and easily bought from the supermarket shelves. Sweet and sour is popular unique but it’s just simply tomato sauce and sugar. Simply put in the sauce after the meat and vegetables are cook in the wok, sauté for a while, and the dish is ready to serve.

chicken satay

My mum gave me some chicken breast meat when i went home last weekend, so i will use it make chicken satay. not the bbq kind but the stir fry kind. thsi way i wont burn the house down but yet i get the same taste of grilled chicken satay.

Ingredients
400g chicken breast fillet

Marinade for chicken:
2 cloves garlic, pounded finely
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
some turmeric powder


1. Cut chicken into small cubes

2. Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken cubes in the marinade and stir well so that the cubes are well-coated. Keep in the fridge for overnight.

3. Heat wok, add some oil. Stir fry the meat. remove when golden brown.

such an easy way to make this popular malaysian dish. no grilling is required. it has some sweet taste because of the honey and very heavy turmeric taste and fragrant. serve with warm rice or as appetizer.

kangkung fried belacan

kangkung (water spinach or water convolulus) is cheap and aplenty in malaysia. in some chinese temple, for example the kek lok si temple in penang, kangkung is used to feed tortoise. when you see kangkung you tend to think of the tortoise. ask any malaysian! no joke!

but there is no denial that when kangkung is fried with belacan and chili, it's a real treat to the appetite. it originated as a malay dish but now anyone in malaysia know how to prepare this dish. usually serve with warm rice.

ingredients
100gm dried prawns, soaked and pounded
300gm kangkung (can be replaced by any green leafy vege of your choice)
3 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
one small piece of belacan
2 red chilies



1. pound the dried prawns, shallots, garlic red chilies and belacan.

2. heat the wok with some oil, and placed pounded material insider. fry until fragrant.

3. put in kangkong and stir fry until cook. add some water and salt to taste.

4. ready to serve

this recipe is good for both lunch and dinner. sometime malaysian stalls serve this as breakfast with nasi lemak.

nam yu pork ribs (fermented red beancurd)

when you have a day job, cooking is harder on the weekdays. nam yu prok ribs is another good recipe that require little preparation time. i marinate the meat in the morning and when i come home from work, i simply fry it and it's done. simple but mouth-watering dish when served with warm rice.


Ingredients
600g pork ribs, chopped into bite size

Seasoning (combine):
1 piece or 1 cube fermented red beancurd (nam yu)
1/2 tbsp light soya sauce
A dash of pepper
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced onions

Combine:
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1 egg white


1. Marinate pork-rib pieces with the seasoning ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.

2. Coat marinated ribs with egg white and flour, then deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain. Ready to serve.

view also others marinate and fry dish 'pork chop with dark soya sauce' and 'marmite chicken'

chicken rice

truly a malaysian favourite, chicken rice is sold all over the country. usually teamed with BBQ pork and Char Siew, this dish is lunch to many people.


Ingredients
For the chicken:
chicken breast meat (500-600 gm for two person)
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce

For the rice:
2 cups long grain rice
3-4 cm piece ginger, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Put in chicken and cook for nine to 10 minutes.

2. Turn off the heat and allow chicken to remain in the stock for five minutes, then remove chicken and immerse in a basin of cold water. Reserve chicken stock for cooking the rice.

3. Drain the chicken meat. Combine sesame oil and light soy sauce, then brush it all over the chicken. Set aside. Steam the chicken for about 10-15 minutes in medium flame.

4. Wash the rice clean, then drain. Heat up oil in a wok and stir-fry garlic and ginger until lightly browned and fragrant. Put in rice and stir-fry well. Dish out rice and put into a rice cooker. Add enough chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste and a dash of sesame oil. Cook until rice is done.

5. To serve, scoop warm rice into a rice bowl and overturn this on the plate. Serve with cut-up chicken and chilli sauce. (Options: garnish with cucumber slices, spring onion curls and coriander leaves)