Stir fry is one of my favourite weeknight meals. It’s easy, fast and healthy. Just chop up lots of veg and chuck it into a screaming hot pan. I tend to only make Chinese stir fry’s so this time I decided to mix it up and try a Korean stir fry and it was amazing!! Incredibly spicy, warming and delicious. Over the years I’ve picked up a few tips on how to make a great stir fry and how to avoid a sloppy mess. See below 🙂

This is a great vegetarian recipe. You can always make it vegan by leaving out the fried egg. It’s so satisfying that you don’t miss the meat or fish. I love trying something new as I get bored very easily. With food I meant.

Stir Fry Tips:

1. A wok is best for a stir fry. It’s big enough to allow you to toss your ingredients around without them steaming and getting soggy. If you don’t have a wok, just use the biggest pan you have to allow for more room.
2. Get your wok/pan screaming hot, don’t be afraid of the smoke. This will sear the food and add flavour. Put the fan on full and open all your windows. Place any toddlers in front of the tv (Kidding…or not).
3. Boil your noodles for a minute less than the packet says. Drain them, rinse with cold water, place them in a separate bowl and toss with a drizzle of sesame oil. This avoids soggy overcooked noodles that will get claggy in your stir fry.
4. Prep all your ingredients before hand. Chop all your veg, make your sauce and get a small pan ready for your fried egg (if using).
5. Don’t overcook your vegetables. Keep everything moving and cook everything quickly. A stir fry should only take a few minutes from start to finish.
6. Have fun with it!

There are a couple of ingredients that are important to this recipe. First I used a jarred Kimchi by Yutaka and a Korean chilli paste called Gochujang, both purchased from Sainsbury’s. This is what gives the dish a Korean spin and adds a delicious burst of flavour and spice. I also used Udon noodles but you can use any noodles you have.

OK time for the recipe!

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion
• 1 green pepper
• 150g mushrooms
• 1 medium carrot
• 3 big garlic cloves
• 100g Kimchi (link above)
• 1 egg per person
• 150g udon noodles
• sesame seeds, fresh chilli and spring onions to garnish

For the stir fry sauce:

• 60g Gochujang paste (link above)
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp juice from kimchi jar

Method:

1. Slice all your veg and garlic cloves and place on a plate.
2. Mix all of the ingredients for the stir fry sauce in a bowl and set aside. If it is a little thick, add more water from the Kimchi jar.
3. Heat up the wok for a few minutes until smoking. Meanwhile, boil your noodles for 3-4 minutes or according to the packet instructions. Drain the noodles, rinse with cold water, toss with a tsp of sesame oil to avoid them sticking and place aside in a bowl.
4. Once your wok is hot, add a good splash of oil (I used rapeseed oil but you can use any oil with a high smoking point such as sunflower oil or groundnut oil. Avoid olive oils as this will burn easily).
5. Add the vegetables to the wok and toss continuously for a couple of minutes until charred but not too overcooked. Then add the Kimchi.
6. Next, add the stir fry sauce and mix through for another minute.
7. Then add the noodles and toss everything together for another minute until the noodles are covered in the sauce. Turn the heat off.
8. In a small frying pan, add some oil and fry an egg until crisp around the edges.
9. Serve your noodles, add the fried egg on top and garnish with sesame seeds, fresh chilli and spring onions. Enjoy!!

I really do love this recipe and I hope you do too. Let me know if you decided to give this a try and leave me a comment below. Thank you so much for reading! Have a great evening.

I am a food photographer and stylist based in Milton Keynes. Please check out my website to see more of my work at www.jbimagery.co.uk