Stir-frying
Stir-frying uses high contact heat with a pan, a dash of oil and occasionally a splash of water to cook vegetables.
Stir-frying keeps vegetables brightly coloured, crunchy and tasty. It also minimises the loss of water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C. The addition of oil makes fat-soluble vitamins more available to your body.
The best way to stir-fry is to heat some oil in a wok or frypan over medium heat before adding vegetables. Make sure you keep the vegetables moving in the pan with a spatula for 2 minutes. You can then add 1–2 tablespoons of water and cover for another minute before removing from the heat—you don’t want them to go mushy.
Harder vegetables, such as carrots, might take longer to cook than softer vegetables, such as beans. You can combat this by chopping into smaller pieces, or by adding the softer vegetables to the pan a bit later.
Veggy tip
Always getting teary over onions? Cutting onions releases a gas that causes a stinging sensation when it comes into contact with your eyes. Those tears are your body’s way of fighting back to dilute the irritant, so let it all out.