When it comes to cooking one of the easiest and quickest dishes to cook-up is stir-frying. What exactly is stir-fry? It is essentially a cooking technique consisting of a colorful mix of different ingredients like mix vegetables and protein usually sauteed with different sauces and spices in a wok (frying pan).
Before getting into the different spices you can add in your stir-fry dish. Here’s a quick historical background on this old cooking technique that has revolutionized the way that we eat today.
Stir-frying came from the Chinese word chǎo, which is an old cooking technique originated in China during the Ming Dynasty in 1368-1644 and was later introduced to different parts of the world.
Before people started stir-frying their dishes the most widely used cooking techniques were boiling and steaming because only the upper class could afford oil and fuel needed to stir-fry.
Now that oil and fuel are easily accessible, stir-fry dishes have become widely embraced in different parts of the world. As a result, there is now a wide range of different flavors and spices you can experiment with when stir-frying.
With so many recipes out there in the world, there are now different spices you could add in stir-fry dishes. Here are some super delicious, easy-to-make stir-fry dishes from around the world.
Ginger in Chinese Stir Fry
Ginger is one of the most widely used spices in stir-fry dishes in Chinese cuisine. This super-easy, Chinese stir fry recipe is the perfect dish for people who love simple yet tasty flavors. Ginger is a big part of Chinese culture, heavily used in Chinese medicine, ginger is believed to help balance the qi and body fluids of an individual.
When it comes to Chinese dishes, it is believed to help neutralize the harmful effects of the other ingredients in the dish.
In just 30 minutes, you can serve yourself a filling plate of Chinese stir fry over a bed of steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp of canola oil
- 1 and a half cup of chopped broccoli
- 1 tbsp of water
- 3⁄4 cup of carrots (julienned)
- 1 and a half cup of snow peas
- 6 pieces of shiitake mushrooms (slivered)
- Half a cup of sliced water chestnuts (drained)
- A clove of garlic (minced)
- Half a tsp of fresh ginger (minced)
- 3 tbsp of soy sauce
- 3 tbsp of chicken broth
- 1 tsp of cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat up a frying pan over medium heat and add the oil and wait till it starts to heat up.
- Once the oil is hot, add in the broccoli and 1 tbsp of water and saute for a minute.
- When the broccoli is bright green, add the snow peas, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, water chestnuts and ginger and stir-fry for a minute or two.
- To make the sauce, get a small bowl and combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch and mix until smooth.
- Add the sauce to the frying pan and sautee for another minute.
- Plate up your delicious stir-fry dish over a bed of steamed rice.
Cumin, Fenugreek, Nigella (black onion) Seeds, Mustard and Fennel Seeds in Indian Vegetable Stir-fry
For those of you who crave a meal that’s uber flavourful, this Indian vegetable stir-fry might just satisfy your cravings.
This amazing five-spice Indian vegetable stir-fry fills the room with its wonderfully strong aroma perfect for those who want to go on a food trip adventure.
Ingredients
- 1 packet of five-space Indian mix (cumin, fenugreek, nigella seeds, mustard and fennel seeds)
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pieces of spring onions (sliced diagonally)
- 1 large red chili (sliced diagonally)
- 1 large carrot (thinly sliced)
- 1 red pepper (thinly sliced)
- 100g of sugar snap peas
- 1 large courgette (sliced into matchsticks)
- 150g or asparagus (sliced diagonally)
- 4 cloves of garlic (thinly sliced)
- 3 tbsp of sriracha sauce
- 15g of freshly chopped coriander
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large non-stick frying pan over high heat, add two tablespoons of oil and wait till it gets hot.
- Once the oil is hot enough, add in all the vegetables (except garlic) and saute for two to three minutes. And season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add in the sriracha and freshly chopped coriander to the vegetables and stir-fry.
- In a separate burner heat up 4 tablespoons of oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
- Once hot enough, add in the garlic and wait till golden brown.
- In the same small pan, add in the Indian five-spice to the garlic and stir-fry medium heat for a few seconds. Be careful not to burn.
- Add in the garlic and five-spice mix to the large pan of vegetables and saute until perfectly cooked.
Bell Pepper, Basil, Soy Sauce and Fish Sauce in Thai Vegetable Stir Fry
If you’re a fan of basil, this Thai vegetable stir-fry recipe is a great option for you. Known of its many nutritional benefits, adding basil to your stir-fry is a great way to balance out your dish.
Simply cook up this easy-to-cook dish and add in any protein (or none) you want along with the rest of the spices in this stir-fry dish.
Ingredients
- 3 large cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1 head of broccoli (chopped)
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- 2 cups of snap peas (trimmed)
- 3 pieces of carrots (chopped)
- 3 cups of Thai or regular basil
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- A tablespoon of fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
- Half a teaspoon of sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar
Instructions
- To concoct the sauce, get a small bowl and combine all sauce ingredients, set aside.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat add in the coconut oil.
- Add in the garlic and stir-fry for one minute till golden brown.
- Once the garlic is cooked, add in the broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas and carrots and add in the sauce mixture.
- Let the veggies cook for around 3 mins and add in the basil.
- Once the basil has been stirred in and completely wilted, serve up over a plate of steamed rice.
Once you try out any of these dishes, you can really tell how much of a difference adding spices in stir-fry dishes really makes. While this article only includes three recipes there are a ton more recipes out there for you to explore.
