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    Home » Articles » Thai Food and Travel » Vegan Thai Recipes

    Why and how to wok: stir fry essentials

    23 September, 2014 by Kip 4 Comments

    If you plan on any serious Thai cooking (or in my opinion, cooking at all), you're going to want to invest in a carbon steel wok, which will cost you all of a few dollars. Avoid non stick.

    IMG_2637
    My very well used wok

    Like with cast iron, carbon steel will, if seasoned properly, develop a nice non stick patina that will only get better over time. I spent less than £10 on this wok more than 20 years ago and it's still going strong.

    Stir fry basic tips

    I used to cook on an electric hob at home, so I know it's difficult to attain the right (and hot enough) heat necessary to stir fry well. While you will not achieve restaurant quality wok hei on an electric hob, you can sill make a good stir fry. The trick is to turn the heat up to the hottest temperature and let the wok sit there to heat through for a few minutes before beginning the cooking process.

    Kin Jay Festival on Yaowarat, Chinatown
    Street food vendor in Bangkok rocking a wok

    Don't add any oil until the wok is hot. It should smoke upon touch. Have your ingredients ready in order of what takes the most amount to the least amount of time to cook, starting by tipping in the former and adding the latter as the cooking process goes on. Don't be tempted to tip everything in at once.

    Also, don't overcrowd the wok. Ideally cook just one small serving at a time.

    A wok spoon/spatula is a good investment as it fits the curves of the vessel and allows for the quick and adequate movement necessary for good stir fries. It also allows for easy flinging of your food across the room. Be speedy with your stirring. If you find time to leave stir fry contents to cook without agitation, the heat is probably too low.

    A well seasoned wok will impart that flavour indicative of a good stir fry, which is a moderate smokiness.

    Deep frying in a wok

    I always opt to deep fry in my wok and, despite what anyone tells you, you do not need a special device for deep frying and you never will so long as you keep your eyes open. The shape of the wok means you need less oil to achieve the right physical depth for deep frying, as well as helping to vent out steam that so often makes deep fried food soft and mushy.

    Get a tempura rack for your wok and you even have a built in shelf for newly fried goodies! Sometimes mine ends up on the floor or coming at my face after I get my wok spoon or cooking chopsticks somehow tangled in it.

    More Vegan Thai Recipes

    • Vegan kanom baa bin (Thai coconut pancakes), take two
    • Thai style vegan chicken rice (khao man gai)
    • Vegan mee gati – Thai coconut milk noodles
    • Vegan miang kham เมี่ยงคำ

    Reader Interactions

    I reserve the right to improve any malicious and trollish comments left below. Please do not comment about nonvegan products or activities.

    Comments

    1. Veggie Travel Girl

      September 24, 2014 at 6:17 am

      I like your blog so I nominated you for a Liebster Award. Read all about it in my post: http://veggietravelgirl.com/2014/09/24/a-liebster-award-for-veggie-travel-girl/

      Reply
    2. Caitlin

      September 24, 2014 at 6:42 pm

      I love my carbon steel wok! I bought it when I first moved to London around 6 years ago in lieu of any sort of frying pan (I just bought a pasta pot and a wok), it's amazing how much you can make in a wok!

      Reply
      • Kip

        September 25, 2014 at 3:15 am

        It's the BEST tool! I'm shocked when someone doesn't have a wok and at least one decent knife. I sound so middle class.

        Reply
    3. Kathy Smith

      December 20, 2017 at 1:02 pm

      Thanks for sharing this content. I am so confused to buy Carbon steel wok. Then I am confident to buy this product. Waiting for other resources.

      Reply
    4. I reserve the right to improve malicious and trollish comments.

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    Name's Kip. Some things about me: vegan, Thai food enthusiast, comfortably chaotic and disorganised, information lover, Londoner, cookbook collector, clumsy AF, rarely takes a serious photo, has never been on a diet. This is not a wellness blog.

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