Vegetable stir fry

Have you often wondered why sir-fried vegetables taste better in restaurants than when you make them at home? This is especially true for Asian or Chinese dishes, and the Japanese, who are more accustomed to steaming or blanching vegetables, have also learned this from the Chinese. We could shrug our shoulders and say that the whole magic is down to the wok, which you don't have the right gas burner for at home. But it's not that simple. You can learn how to make great vegetables at home, and it's not that difficult. We can borrow several useful techniques from Wok frying that can be used with any type of pan.

• We fry vegetables at a much higher temperature than we would intuitively assume. This is especially true for vegetables with a high water content or firm flesh. So don't be afraid to heat up the pan more. However, if you are using non-stick cookware, especially in combination with induction, be careful not to overheat the empty pan! In this case, add the vegetables to the cold pan and let it heat up with the vegetables already in it.
• The frying time is, of course, significantly reduced at a higher temperature. This also allows us to achieve caramelization on the surface without overcooking the vegetables.
• If we are sautéing several types of vegetables and ingredients, we do it in batches. There are two reasons for this. First, if we fill the pan with vegetables, its temperature will drop significantly, and before we reach it again, we will be stewing the vegetables instead of frying them. And second, each type of vegetable requires a different cooking time.
• Vegetables need more seasoning or salt than we think to develop their flavor. Insufficient seasoning (specifically the absence of MSG) is one of the most common differences between restaurant and home cooking.

Ingredients

• ½ zucchini
• ½/ red onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 g ginger
• 50 ml tsuyu
• 1 tablespoon ssamjang paste salt
• MSG
• sesame oil
• sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Cut the zucchini into small cubes with sides measuring approximately 2 centimeters. Cut the red onion lengthwise into thin slices. Crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife and chop finely. Finely chop or grate the ginger.
2. Pour about three tablespoons of neutral oil into a pan and heat thoroughly. First, add only the chopped zucchini and fry for a while without stirring. Once the zucchini begins to caramelize on the surface, start stirring and tossing it. It should be ready in three minutes. Transfer the fried zucchini from the pan to a bowl and pour one tablespoon of oil into the pan.
3. Heat the pan again and add the red onion. Once it starts to brown, add the garlic and ginger. After about two minutes, reduce the heat to low. Add a tablespoon of ssamjang paste and tsuyu sauce to the vegetables. Stir the mixture in the pan and let it fry. If the paste is too thick, add a little water.
4. Fry the mixture for a while to get rid of excess water, then turn off the heat and add a pinch of salt, a pinch of MSG, and a dash of sesame oil to the still-hot mixture.
5. Finally, add the sesame seeds. Serve the stir-fried vegetables with rice or noodles and garnish with spring onion greens.

PS: A classic wok without a stainless steel or Teflon coating is a bit more difficult to maintain, but it works great on induction cooktops. From my own experience, I can say that you can achieve at least part of that legendary "Wok Hei" even without a large gas burner.