Definition

1. Verb:
   • To fry very quickly over high heat while stirring constantly: This cooking method involves cooking small, uniformly cut pieces of food in a small amount of very hot oil, moving them continuously to ensure even cooking and to prevent burning. It is a technique central to many Asian cuisines.

Usage

• The verb "stir-fry" describes the action of cooking. It is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object (the food being cooked).
• It is often used in the imperative form for recipe instructions.
• The technique requires high heat and constant motion.

Examples

• Verb:
  • For a quick dinner, I will stir-fry some chicken and broccoli.
  • Stir-fry the beef for two minutes before adding the sauce.
  • She stir-fried the vegetables until they were crisp-tender.

Advanced Usage

• As a noun (less common): The term can also refer to a dish prepared by this method. In this case, it is often hyphenated.
  • We ordered a vegetable stir-fry from the menu.
  • This chicken stir-fry is very flavorful.

Variants and Related Words

• Stir-fried (adjective): Describes food that has been cooked using this method.
  • We ate stir-fried noodles with shrimp.
• Stir-frying (gerund/noun): Refers to the cooking technique itself.
  • Stir-frying is a healthy way to cook because it uses little oil.

Synonyms

• Sauté: To fry quickly in a little hot fat. While similar, sautéing typically uses lower heat and is not associated exclusively with Asian cuisine or constant stirring.
• Pan-fry: To fry in a pan, generally with more oil and without the constant stirring motion characteristic of stir-frying.

Related Phrases

• "To stir-fry in a wok": This is the classic and most efficient method, as the wok's shape facilitates the stirring and tossing motion over high heat.
  • The key to perfect flavor is to stir-fry in a wok over a powerful burner.

Verb

1. fry very quickly over high heat
   • stir-fry the vegetables in a wok