Stir frying

Stir fried vegetables are cooked rapidly in a minimum of liquid, or oil, so fewer nutrients are lost or destroyed. Stir frying vegetables is quick. Prepare the rest of the meal first and serve immediately after cooking. Prepare all vegetables before starting to cook.

• Wash and shake dry vegetables before preparing.
• Shred, dice or thinly slice the vegetables into pieces the same size.
• Cook the dense vegetables first; those that take longer to cook e.g. carrot, egg plant, broccoli stems.
• Add the less dense vegetables towards the end of cooking, e.g. cabbage, bok choy.
• Heat a little oil in a large non stick pan, or wok.
• Make sure the oil in the pan is very hot before adding the vegetables.
• Cook vegetables in batches.
• When the oil dries out add a sprinkling of water.