Can I add water to a stir fry? Yes, if you want to steam the vegetables. Sometimes I will add 2 tablespoons of water or broth after adding the vegetables. I put a lid on the pan and allow the ingredients to steam for 2 to 5 minutes depending on how raw the vegetables are and how much food there is.
Sautéing and stir-frying—The most common question I get on this topic is how to sauté or stir-fry without butter or oil. The trick is to use small amounts of water or broth, adding just a small amount (1 to 2 tablespoons) at a time. Do this as often as needed to cook and brown the food, without steaming it.
When you stir-fry vegetables, the dish is often dry and the amount of nutrients in vegetables is evaporated, so to retain those nutrients, you should add 2-3 tablespoons of water when the pan is hot. In this way, the hot steam will make vegetables cooked without consuming too much water in the vegetables.
Soy sauce, sesame oil, a bit of vinegar, or store-bought stir-fry sauces are easy to add to the dish and most stir-fry recipes will include a suggested mixture of liquid. If you don't really have a sauce planned, a bit of bottled soy sauce and some diced garlic or ginger will make a nice basic stir-fry sauce.
The key to making a really good stir-fry is using a very high cooking temperature so the food will cook quickly. Since stir-frying involves high heat, it's important to choose an oil that has a high smoke point. If you don't, the oil will burn and the whole dish will be ruined.
Keep moist but not soggy If vegetables are getting too dry ,splash a bit of water or broth into the pan to keep the vegetables from burning. Cooking over a high heat will also quickly cook the meat, preventing it from drying out.
If you add too many ingredients at once, they will overlap and steam, rather than sauté, making them rubbery or soggy. "Cook each ingredient separately," advises Martinez. Not only does this ensure that you won't pile too much in the pan at once, but it will also account for different cooking times.
Cut Thin Slices
The thinner the beef, the more tender it will taste and the less chewy it will be. Thicker strips require longer cooking times, which usually means the outside is overcooked by the time the inside is cooked.
One can't fry food stuffs like vegetables for example, with water because the boiling point of water is less than that of the oil. Usually all food stuffs will have water content. In fact, we fry food stuffs to remove this water for which they should be heated beyond the boiling point of water (100°C).
Add the chopped vegetables and two tablespoons of water to a skillet or pan and turn the heat to medium or medium-low. It will take a few minutes for the vegetables to start sizzling. Use more than two tablespoons if you have a large pan. You're aiming for a thin layer of water.
Keep your stir-fry dry until everything is cooked in order to avoid steaming your food. Dry vegetables thoroughly after washing them, and don't add your sauce until the very end, giving it just enough time to heat through.
All foods give off some steam when cooking, so it's important to leave the lid off the pan during frying so the steam evaporates rather than collecting on the lid and dripping back into the hot oil.
The best oils for stir frys are the oils with the higher smoke points. These tend to be the “thinner” oils such as peanut, grapeseed or canola.
Adding the cooked ingredients back in the pan
If you add them to the heat again, they could overcook. Because the process is quick, everything should be still warm and the hot sauce will bring everything to the right temperature for the dinner table.
Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, then fry the chilli and garlic for 1 min. Add the veg and toss to coat in the oil. Fry for 2-3 mins, then add the soy and chilli sauce, mixing well. Cook for 2-3 mins more until the veg are tender.
A great stir-fry typically consists of four important components: protein, vegetables, aromatics, and sauce. Standard stir-fry starts with one pound of protein and two pounds of vegetables, and a basic stir-fry sauce (recipe below). You can add aromatics or herbs to change the flavor profile of your dish.
Tip: As you're cooking the vegetables, if the wok starts to look dry or the vegetables start to burn before they are cooked through, add about 1 Tablespoon of water. If you do this with the longer cooking vegetables, you can cover the wok with a lid after adding the water.
Using a wok, it's important to add the proper amount of water. If there's too much water, it may soak the food during steaming. However, if there's too little, it may boil dry. When you add the water, leave one inch between the bottom of the steamer rack and the surface of the water.