Choosing a wok

Woks are the quintessential Asian cooking tool used for stir-frying and for general use in a home kitchen opt for a wok 25-30cm in diameter. One-handled woks are ideal for stir-frying, as the handle can be held to shake the wok, leaving the other hand free to add or stir ingredients. Round-bottomed woks are best for gas stoves as they allow the flames to reach up high on the outside of the wok; on electric stoves, a flat bottom ensures that the wok remains in constant contact with the heat source.

Traditionally, woks were made from cast iron because it retains heat well, and it’s still possible to buy this style today. However, most modern woks are made from light carbon steel, which retains heat well and is good for searing. Stainless steel is also popular, but it doesn’t conduct heat as well. Although electric woks are available, they sometimes don’t heat up to temperatures that are needed to make really crispy stir-fries, and can be difficult to wield.

Stir-frying basics

Stir-frying is a technique that cooks small pieces of food quickly over high heat. It’s very easy to perfect, but here are a few tips to see you through:

Only oils with a high smoking point should be used, such as peanut, vegetable, canola or sunflower oil. You only need to use minimal oil in your wok, keeping the dish healthy and, due to the short cooking time, ensuring the food remains fresh and crispy.
As stir-frying happens very quickly, it’s good to get your ingredients chopped and ready for cooking in advance. Vegetable ingredients should be cut finely, and meat into thin strips.
Heat the wok to very hot before adding a little oil, swirling it around to coat the sides. Seasonings such as ginger or garlic should be added before the oil starts to smoke to prevent burning. Then add the ingredients one at a time, in order of the longest to shortest cooking time.
Keep the food constantly moving, using a tossing motion. Don’t allow anything to stick to the pan or sit in one place too long.
When the ingredients are cooked and combined, add seasonings such as soy, sweet chilli or oyster sauce to bring the flavours of the stir-fry together. Adding liquid at the end will stop the ingredients from getting soggy during the cooking process.

Stir-fry recipes: Basics on how to make a delicious stir-fry

Simple stir-fry recipes

Switch on the rice cooker, and by the time the rice is all done you can have one of these favourite stir fries on the table.

Beef stir-fry recipes

For a quick beef dish with oodles of flavour you can’t beat these stir-fries. Simply cook strips of finely cut beef to your choice of sauce and accompaniments and cook over a searing heat until done. Serve with rice or noodles to soak up the sauce and turn it into a filling mid-week meal.

Chicken stir-fry recipes

Cut your chicken super fine and add it to your stir-fries for unbeatable flavour. Remember to cut the chicken against the grain, which will help keep it juicy and tender as it cooks.

Stir-fry recipes: Basics on how to make a delicious stir-fry

Vegetarian options

Stir-frying is one of the quickest, easiest and most flavourful ways of cooking vegetables. By working quickly and keeping the heat high, you also retain most of the nutrients in the vegetables, making it a very healthy way to cook as well. Try looking to Thailand, China and Malaysia for some great stir-fry recipes, where everything from nuts to spicy chilli pastes are used to add buckets of flavour to the vegetables.

Noodle stir-fry recipes

Had enough of rice? Well, these noodle dishes could be just what you need. The ultimate one pot dish, noodle stir-fries have the added benefit of being very flavourful as the noodles are added to the wok to soak up all the delicious sauce.

Stir-fry recipes: Basics on how to make a delicious stir-fry