TGIFood

Wok a difference freshness makes to a weeknight vegetable stir fry

9 Oct 2024

Get the wok out and turn fresh vegetables into a quick and crunchy weeknight supper.

Don’t get me started on those revolting packs of frozen “stir fry” vegetables. Why would you try to fry those? We don’t fry in water. They’re soggy to begin with, which is precisely the opposite of what you want in a vegetable stir fry. You’re looking for crispy, crunchy veg, nicely sauced with Asian condiments. Simple solution: buy them fresh.

Packs of “stir fry mix” from the fresh vegetables section of the supermarket are marginally better, but often they look and feel a bit tired. And any vegetable is fresher and crisper for being freshly chopped or sliced before being cooked.

So rather buy them fresh: a red, green or yellow bell pepper (capsicum), some perky spring onions, celery, garlic (to be sliced thinly), ginger (ditto), chillies, baby corn, mushrooms; all of which are easy to find in the average supermarket. Better still, shiitake or king oyster mushrooms rather than the ubiquitous buttons. But they’re okay in a veggie stir fry too.

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This is usually the way I start a wok dish that will end up having chicken, beef or other meat in it. But I stopped short of any of that, deciding instead to just have a simple supper of crispy veg spruced up with two or three of the Asian condiments in my cupboard.

I used coconut oil for this, which is unusual, but I am fresh out of the wok oil that I almost invariably have in the cupboard, so use whatever you have, as long as it is relatively flavourless.

Tony’s easy (fresh) vegetable stir fry

(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients

Coconut oil or other oil, as much as is needed

12 shiitake mushrooms, sliced in half

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

4cm ginger, peeled and sliced into thin strips

2 red chillies, sliced thinly

6 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal

10 baby corn, sliced in half lengthways

1 red pepper, core and choke removed, and sliced julienne

A splash or three of tamari soy sauce

2 Tbsp brown rice vinegar or similar

A dash of sesame oil (be careful, it is powerful and only a hint does the job)

A dash of another Asian condiment you may have in the cupboard such as oyster sauce, black bean sauce or mirin

Coriander, chopped (optional)

Chinese egg noodles (optional)

Method

Slice and dice the vegetables as stated in the ingredients. Keep the shiitake mushrooms separate from the other vegetables because they will be stir fried first.

Add coconut oil or other oil to a cold wok and put it on the heat. When hot, add the shiitake mushrooms and stir fry until nicely coloured and softish (but not too soft).

Add the remaining vegetables and cook, tossing with two wooden spoons, until tender but still crisp. Along the way, add splashes of the condiments. This is the trick: to stop cooking at the right point before they become too soft.

If you wish to add Chinese egg noodles, bring water to a boil and add two nests of this type of noodle, and boil for 4 minutes. Drain well and stir into the cooked vegetables, tossing with a pasta fork.

If you like, chop some fresh coriander leaves to use as a garnish. DM

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Writer 2023, jointly with TGIFood columnist Anna Trapido.

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