Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

Crispy and Crunchy Food That is Nutritious

Aug 3, 2009 Melody Mundawarara

A colourful combination of vegetables and chicken are quickly stir-fried and served over brown rice.

In the Asian technique of stir frying, meat and vegetables are cooked very quickly. They therefore retain texture and flavour. This method typically involves a quick sauté over high heat, occasionally followed by a brief steam in a sauce.

Prepare everything you need before you begin to stir-fry. Stir-frying is fast; you won't really have time to chop the broccoli while the onion is cooking. Learn the different cooking times of meats and vegetables. You'll need to stagger additions to the stir-fry according to how long they take to cook. For example, you would add onions first, and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add broccoli florets and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then add red bell pepper and stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Try not to cook for too long after adding the vegetables, and don't add too much sauce at once. This way, the vegetables will be cooked, but still crisp.

If necessary, stir-fry the meat completely first, then add it back in at the end. This works well for any large assemblage of ingredients, because you ensure the meat cooks fully but not too much.

A large frying pan can be used for stir frying. However, the advantage of using an authentic wok is that it allows you to move the ingredients out of the cooking zone (the very centre) so that they stay warm, but don't overcook. After the meat is cooked, move it up the edges of the wok.

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe

Serves 4 -6 Ingredients:

  • 500 g boneless skinless chicken breast (parallel sliced)
  • 1 red bell pepper; cored, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper; cored, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper; cored, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 4 small yellow squash (cubed)
  • 4 small zucchini (cubed)
  • 1 cup baby carrots
  • 1 head of broccoli (cut into florets)
  • 150 g. sugar snap peas
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoon hot water
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch

Method:

  1. Make sure all of your ingredients are cut before cooking as stir frying goes quickly. Before cooking, mix the soy sauce, water, and corn starch together in a small bowl until smooth.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp. of cooking oil in a wok or large cast iron frying pan until very hot. Toss baby carrots into the wok and stir. Cook carrots for approximately 2 minutes.
  3. Toss the chicken into the wok, stirring until it begins to brown and no more pink shows. Toss in the broccoli and stir for a minute, then the peppers, and stir for a minute, and then the squash, zucchini, and sugar snap peas.
  4. Add the soy sauce mixture and the wine vinegar in and stir regularly. Continue to cook for 2-5 minutes depending on your preferences in vegetable firmness. Test the carrots and broccoli with a fork to determine when to serve. The sauce should have also thickened.
  5. Serve over a bowl of brown rice.

The copyright of the article Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry in Recipes is owned by Melody Mundawarara. Permission to republish Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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