Stir frying -- What makes it healthy?

Stir-frying uses very little oil that makes the food low in fat and calories. Read on for tips to stir-fry foods.

Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Updated : June 9, 2015 7:41 AM IST

If you have a busy lifestyle, then stir frying is the way to go because it is one of the quickest cooking methods. It is originally a Chinese cooking technique that involves cooking the ingredients at a high temperature in little or no oil. The foods taste vibrant and fresh with a distinctive flavour. Another advantage of stir-frying is that you can cook food in bulk.

What makes it healthy?

According to well-known dietician Neha Chandna, one of the greatest benefits of stir-frying foods is that it uses very little oil that makes the food low in fat and calories. Baking is also a healthy option as it requires no oil.
The high temperature required to stir fry the foods, cooks the food quickly and helps retain the nutrients.
Stir frying allows you to choose a broad range of ingredients (vegetables and meat) you can have a great mix of the essential micro nutrients.

Which cooking oil is best for stir-frying?

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The best cooking oil for stir-frying is the one that has a high smoking point as it will allow the oil to be heated to a high temperature without breaking down the fatty acids. According to Neha, rice bran oil, peanut oil and olive oil are good options for stir frying.

What utensil to use?

An excellent choice for stir-frying foods easily would be to use a flat-bottomed wok (a rounded saut pan). Round bottomed pans won t fit too well over your stoves and the heat will not be distributed evenly. Neha suggests using a utensil made of steel or iron.

How to stir-fry?

For stir-frying you simply need to chop all the ingredients in bite-sized and then toss and turn the ingredients in very little hot oil over high heat. It usually takes not more than 5 minutes for the vegetables/meat to become crisp and succulent. You may want to try this stir-fried tofu with vegetables.

Tips:

Cut the vegetables into thin, small pieces so that they cook quickly. If the pieces are not evenly thick, they will cook unevenly.
Once the food is in the pan, you need to flip it regularly to avoid burning and sticking it to the bottom of a pan. Use a spatula to scoop the food efficiently.
Vegetables like carrot and cabbage take some time to cook so blanch them before you put them in the wok.
Remember not to stir fry in butter as it cannot survive the high temperatures.
Serve the stir fried food right after its cooked, or the ingredients lose their vitality.

Stir frying -- What makes it healthy?

Stir-frying uses very little oil that makes the food low in fat and calories. Read on for tips to stir-fry foods.

Also Read

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