| Being raised in a Chinese family, Chinese | | | | being heated at a high temperature. Good stir |
| food is very much a part of me. Chinese | | | | frying needs to have concentrated fire and |
| cooking uses various methods, such as | | | | heat. Non-stick pan cannot be heated at high |
| stir-fry, deep-fry, simmer, boil, steam and | | | | heat as it can damage the coating easily. |
| so on, with no less than twenty ways. The | | | | |
| most commonly used method is still stir fry | | | | (3) After pouring a little oil, swirl it |
| or 'chao' in mandarin. | | | | around to coat most of the surface and heat |
| | | | it over medium high heat about 1 minute. |
| Stir fry is not limited by any quantity and | | | | |
| types of ingredients, anything can be mixed | | | | (4) When it is almost smoking, add in ground |
| and stir fried in the same dish which creates | | | | garlic or scallion sections and stir fry for |
| for a good basis of "color". Finely cut | | | | few seconds. Then scatter vegetable or meat |
| ingredients are cooked under high heat for a | | | | in the wok. When ground garlic or scallion |
| short period of time. The taste seeps into | | | | sections are cooked as flavoring, the aroma |
| the food quite easily, emanating wonderful | | | | is overwhelmingly strong but satisfying. |
| aroma. Since stir fries are made usually very | | | | |
| quickly, it prevents the loss of nutritional | | | | (5) Turn and flip food in generous sweeping |
| content from food. | | | | motions to prevent burning and ensure even |
| | | | cooking. |
| Tips on stir frying recipe: | | | | |
| | | | (6) Add all seasoning and flavoring after few |
| (1) Ensure all ingredients are ready and | | | | seconds. |
| close at hand. Cube, slice, mince lean meat | | | | |
| finely, cutting against the grain. Deep fry | | | | (7) Bring back to the boil then turn the heat |
| marinated meat a few seconds before beginning | | | | down and cover for few seconds to reduce |
| the main stir fry. Cut vegetable according to | | | | liquid in the wok. |
| their shape. Blanch first the very hard ones. | | | | |
| | | | (8) Decorate stir fried with chopped |
| (2) My mother used to tell me that a Chinese | | | | coriander leaves, sliced cucumber or finely |
| wok is good for stir frying as compared to a | | | | sliced spring onions and chopped chillies. |
| non-stick ones because it can produce 'wok | | | | |
| hei' in Cantonese meaning 'wok's aroma' when | | | | (9) Serve piping hot as soon as possible. |