My sister's comment about my soggy stir fry veggies changed everything

She flat out said my stir fry tasted like steamed vegetables in soy sauce. So I finally stopped overcrowding my wok and started cooking in 3 smaller batches instead of 1 giant pile. Now I actually get that wok hei char flavor and the veggies stay crisp. Anybody else have a family member call them out on a cooking flaw like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

riverm4825d ago

Oh man that's such a good point! It's crazy how one little thing like not crowding the pan can totally change everything. I feel like most cooking problems can be traced back to us just trying to be too efficient or in too big of a hurry.

phoenix_adams6025d agoOG Member

Crowding the pan is definitely a thing but I think sometimes people take it too far. If I'm making stir fry or sauteeing greens they wilt down so fast it barely matters. Plus my grandma used to pack her cast iron full of peppers and onions and they always came out perfect. The real problem is usually heat control not how much stuff you throw in. Low heat with a crowded pan just steams everything, but you crank it up and get some good color even with a full load.