STIR FRY HEALTHY RECIPES

International Delights

The concept of stir fry cooking is quite an old and well-known one by now, for many years, and it is applied in various types of cooking from Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian and even Indian cooking to an extent. The idea of stir-frying is to cook healthy and keep the crunch in the food, and not to overcook and lose all the nutrients from the ingredients. Though not many of us use this method of cooking in our day-to-day cooking at all times, we must try to at least a few times a week with some of our favourite recipes and give a much needed bread and change to our palate and plates.

While some people believe that stir fry leaves the food half done and doesn’t help in digestion etc, my take on this would be to understand the chemistry between the ingredient and the method of cooking before coming to conclusions, for instance if we need to work with broccoli or french beans etc there is no need to completely cook it until it gets mashed up, a little crunch in it is always pleasant. Also, to some cooking in steam, long cooking hours, cooking in pressure cookers, etc., appeals a lot, there is nothing wrong in that as well, but I would recommend trying this option as well a couple of times in our eating patterns.

Also Try: THE LOVABLE LADYFINGERS

Stir fry cooking involves the use of fresh, crispy ingredients which can bear the heat and take in flavours and adapt themselves to the balance of cooking with crunch. Understanding of proper cooking equipment, low quantity of fats and oils, cooking without covering totally and preparing close to consuming time are some of the factors which help in making good stir fry recipes.

Here are a few of my all-time favourite Stir Fry Healthy Recipes:

Recipe-1] STIR FRY DILKHUSH SUBZI

Ingredients

Method

Oil-2 tsp Butter-1/2 tsp Garlic-1 tsp chopped Ginger-1 tsp sliced Green chillies-2 no slit Red chilli-1-2 slit Lemon grass-3-4 pieces Fresh basil leaves-4-5 no Paneer- 1 cup cut into cubes Capsicums- red/green/yellow-1/2 cup cubes French beans-1/4 cup cut Spring onions-2-3 sliced Zucchini- ½ green sliced Broccoli-1/2 cup florets Salt and pepper to taste Mixed herbs & chilli flakes to taste Soya sauce-2 tsp Red chilli sauce-2 tsp Tomato ketchup-2 tsp White vinegar-1 tsp Spring onion greens-2 tbsp. chopped

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the stir-fry veggie recipe. 2. Heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the chillies, ginger, garlic, spring onions and saute for 1 min. 3. Add in the assorted vegetables of your choice, and add ¼ cup of water to allow them to cook well. We can also use blanched or boiled vegetables to save time in the stir-fry recipe. 4. Add in the salt, pepper, herbs, chilli flakes, lemon grass, basil leaves and sauces as per taste and mix well, cook on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes. 5. Now add in the paneer cubes and mix them well, and add a little water if desired for a little saucy texture or gravy. Adjust with corn starch solution if too thin. 6. Serve hot, garnished with spring onion greens and enjoy this recipe as a nice mini meal with some brown bread or toasted garlic bread. For non-veg variations: I prefer to use shredded boneless chicken in this recipe with mushrooms as a combination with some colourful capsicums. The other option to try is with some sliced chicken sausages with capsicums or with bean sprouts.

Recipe-2] STIR FRIED PEPPER GARLIC PRAWNS

Ingredients

Method

Prawns medium size- 12-14 pieces Oil-2 tsp Butter-1/2 tsp Sliced garlic cloves-2 tsp Crushed red chillies/ chilli flakes-1 tsp Salt and pepper to taste Ginger -1 tsp cut into strips Green chillies-2 slit Spring onions- 2-3 sliced Honey-1 tsp White wine-2 tbsp. optional White vinegar-1 tsp Soya sauce-1 tsp Schezuan chutney- 1 tsp Red chilli sauce-1 tsp Water/stock-1/2 cup Corn starch solution-2-3 tsp to thicken Spring onion greens-2 tbsp. chopped Roasted crushed peanuts-2 tsp White sesame seeds-1 tsp To serve on a bed of steamed rice To serve with a tossed salad with cucumber & mint.

1. Prepare the prawns, clean, wash them well and marinate with a little vinegar, salt and pepper and keep aside for 12-15 minutes. 2. To stir fry the prawns, heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the sliced spring onions, garlic, chillies and ginger, and toss for 1 minute. 3. Add in the prawns and add a little white wine if being used, and saute for 10 seconds. Add a little water or stock and cook the prawns on a medium flame for 5-6 minutes. 4. Add in the sauces as desired to taste and mix well, add some strips or cubes of colourful capsicums if desired for a crunch, cook for 2-3 minutes, add in the corn starch solution and thicken a little and adjust to taste, add in the peanuts and spring onion greens and a little honey or a pinch of sugar, sesame seeds and mix it well, serve hot on a bed of steamed white rice and some tossed salad to go along. For veg variations: Try the same recipe with cubes of paneer or even tofu to make it vegan. Use assorted exotic veggies of your choice, from bamboo shoots to zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms, and canned water chestnuts, which also add a nice crunch in these recipes. Try using a Manchurian sauce as well for a change in the colour of the recipe.

Recipe-3] INDO- MEXI STIR FRIED CHICKEN

Ingredient

Method

Chicken breasts- 1-2 no, cut into small pieces, cubes or strips For the marination of the chicken: Oil-2 tsp Salt and pepper to taste Red chilli powder-1/4 tsp Lime juice-2 tsp Mustard paste-1 tsp Mix and keep aside for 10-12 mins For the stir fry: Oil-1 tsp Butter-1 tsp Garlic- 1 tsp chopped Onion- 1 medium-sized, sliced Red/green/yellow capsicum-1/2 cup cut into strips Salt and pepper to taste Water/chicken stock-1 cup Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp Coriander powder-1/2 tsp Chilli flakes-1/2 tsp Tomato ketchup-2-3 tsp Lime juice-2 tsp add and serve Corn starch solution-2-3 tsp to thicken Parsley/coriander leaves-2 tsp for garnish

1. Clean, wash and cut the chicken pieces, apply the marination and keep aside for 12-15 mins. 2. To stir fry the recipe further, heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the garlic, onions and saute, add jalapeno peppers as well for more taste. 3. Add in the marinated chicken pieces and saute on a high flame for 1-2 minutes, add a little water or stock and allow chicken to cook for 5-6 mins, also add in the colourful capsicums. 4. Add in the sauces, seasonings, spices to taste and mix well, continue cooking for another 4-5 mins, add in the corn starch solution and thicken a little. 5. Garnish with assorted fresh herbs, parsley, coriander, etc., and serve hot with indian breads/ this can also be used as a filling for a wrap or roll with some spread like chilli mayonnaise or garlic-cucumber yoghurt dip on the side. For vegetarian variations: I like to use a combination of veggies in this recipe, like sliced marinated grilled eggplant with peppers, grilled paneer or tofu slices or cubes, and add some sauteed Babycorn and grilled mushrooms into it for a nice flavour. Also, try adding a little peanut butter in combination with chilli sauce for a different taste in the stir fry.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author solely. TheRise.co.in neither endorses nor is responsible for them. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited..