8 tips for the perfect stir fry in minutes

The Chinese know a thing or two about getting food on the table ASAP. The whole art of stir frying is a case in point.

It wasn’t until recently that I decided to master the art of stir frying, and I’m really kicking myself that I didn’t get into stir frys sooner.

Here are 8 tips to make sure you’re turning out delicious stir frys in no time:

1. Prepare your ingredients first
One the cooking starts your attention should be on the wok. So make sure you prep in advance. I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t chop that bunch of bok choy and stir the beef at the same time.

2. Chop longer cooking veg into smaller pieces
No brainer really, smaller pieces cook quicker. With taking a few extra seconds with your knife to save time in the wok.

3. Use a thin, carbon steel wok
Woks are one of the few times when cheapest is best when it comes to cooking equipment. Thin carbon steel heats up super fast and transfers the heat quickly to your food.

4. Use the hottest heat source you can
Gas is best because it’s fast and super hot. If you’re stuck with an electric stove, consider investing in a portable butane burner for cooking your stir frys.

No prizes for guessing that the hotter your heat, the quicker your food cooks.

5. Focus on the stirring
When it’s time to cook. Keep the food moving around the pan to ensure everything cooks as quickly and evenly as possible.

6. Don’t over-crowd your wok
Excess food in the wok slows down your cooking time. And in the case of meat and chicken, increases the likelihood of toughness. Best to err on the safe side and cook in smaller batches.

7. Keep the seasoning simple
Most times a simple splash of soy sauce is all you need. And is much quicker than reaching for multiple different seasonings.

8. Skip the rice
Cooking rice takes a good 15 to 20 minutes. I used to avoid stir frys because I didn’t want to deal with the whole rice cooking thing. Once I realised that a simple stir fry can be a delicious and satisfying meal on its own, stir frying became a far more attractive cooking method.

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