Stir Fry 101: What’s in the sauce?

Eggplant and scallion stir fry paired with grilled pork. Yum!

I love a good take away and who doesn’t? There is something inexplicably satisfying about going for it with your chopsticks, right out of the box, on the couch, preferably in front of a good Netflix(I just inhaled the last season of Suburra paired with my beef and broccoli last week) No judgement here on how you like to enjoy!

The breakdown of any stir fry dish is simple: a hot pan + a touch of oil + seared meat/protein (3-5 min) + vegetables (3-5 min) + sauce and stir. Done. The prep work usually takes longer than the cooking.

So what’s in the sauce? I have three go-to sauces that I like to play with to make lots of different dishes. My advice is to experiment and see what you like best!

• Black Bean Garlic Sauce: This is my go to for noodle dishes(especially egg based noodles), green beans+ bell pepper or chicken + mixed vegetables (a combination of broccoli, eggplant, bell pepper and onion)

• Black Pepper Sauce: This sauce I like to use with beef + bell peppers or with clams + green onion

• My own mix: So this mix is when I want to have something “taste like a restaurant” This sauce mix works on EVERYTHING: beef and broccoli, noodles, shrimp, eggplant + tofu, chicken + cashews…combinations are endless. The only thing to adjust from the base are listed as optional. Make it yours queen!

  Before you start cooking - prepare this sauce and it will bring your stir fry together in about a minute!

  Base Ingredients:

  • 1/2cup/100ml water and 1/2 teaspoon of chicken powder/one half a bouillon cube or 1/2 cup/100ml of chicken broth

  • 2 Tablespoons of dark soy sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons of rice wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon of sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • pinch of garlic powder or one clove of garlic minced

  • pinch of ginger powder or 1 teaspoon grated

  • 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch

    Optional add-ins - add as few or as many as you like

  • 1 pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

  • 1 Tablespoon chopped green onion(optional)

  • 1/3 cup of cashews if you are making cashew chicken

  Directions:

• Mix the above ingredients in a bowl and make sure the cornstarch is evenly mixed, or you will have clumps in the final stir-fry. This liquid mix will look like a cloudy mess - but I promise, it tastes good at the end.

• Once you have cooked your protein and vegetables in the hot pan, you will add in the liquid mix and stir - do not let it sit because the cornstarch will become glue. Reduce the heat and as it bubbles, you will see the sauce go clearer. Serve immediately. Enjoy!