CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF DR KAVIRAJ KHIALANI
A Wok is a deep round-bottomed cooking pot that originated in China. It is common in China and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as being popular in other parts of the world. A wok is most commonly used for stir-frying, but because of its unique design, it has several other potential uses as well. Since it’s so deep, it can be filled with water and used to boil foods, or filled with oil for deep frying. If it comes with a lid, the wok can also be used for steaming vegetables or seafood. Essentially, a wok is a frying pan — but the curved shape changes the way the food is cooked.
It is healthier than a standard frying pan because of its high heat retention and the need for little cooking oil. A wok is ideal for stir-frying; as the food is cooked, it’s pushed up to the sides of the wok while the remaining food is cooked on the bottom. A wok uses less oil than a conventional large skillet, and its high, sloping sides contain most of the splatter. What makes a wok a bit different from the other cooking equipment’s is Unlike other utensils, a wok doesn’t overcook the food nor keeps it uncooked.
Cooks Quickly
A wok cooks the food quickly and evenly from all sides as it takes less time to heat up. A wok is made up of Carbon steel that has excellent heat retention properties, making it easier and faster to cook food. The main difference in the stir-fry pan is its generous flat bottom—a good couple of inches bigger than the older flat-bottom woks—and a depth of 3 or 4-inches, which beats out a traditional Western sauté pan. Professional chefs generally prefer carbon steel woks to cast-iron ones because carbon steel weighs less and manoeuvres more easily. Cooking stir-fries requires moving, lifting, and shifting the pan to toss vegetables and meats for even cooking; it can be tough to do that with a heavy cast-iron wok. The wok centre has a constant distance from the stove rim, and this distance, 203 ± 3 mm, is close to the radius of curvature of the wok. Thus, the wok slides along the stove, but maintains contact. This key feature of wok stir-fry helps the chef to reduce the effort required to toss the food.
Here are a few of my all-time favourite easy to cook Wok Recipes:
ASIAN WOK TOSSED FRIED RICE
Ingredients
Oil-2 tsp
Boiled white rice- 2 cups
Garlic -1 tsp chopped
Ginger-1 tsp chopped
Green chilies- 1 tsp slit
Onions- 1 small chopped
Carrots-1/2 cup fine cut
Cabbage-1/4 cup finely cut
Green capsicum-1/2 no finely cut
Beansprouts- ½ cup
Lemon grass- 3-4 pieces
Fresh basil leaves- 5- 6 no
Salt and pepper to taste
Soy sauce-2 tsp
Red chili sauce-2 tsp
Water-2-3 tbsp.
Sugar-1/4 tsp
Eggs- 2 no
Boneless shredded chicken-1 cup
Spring onion greens-1/2 cup chopped
Roasted crushed peanuts- 2-3 tbsp.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the Asian style fried rice.
- Heat up the wok, add in the oil, place the lemon grass, onions, garlic, ginger, green chilies and saute for a few seconds.
- Add in the carrots, cabbage, capsicum, beansprouts and give it all a toss, add in salt and pepper, little water and allow to cook for 2-3 mins.
- Add in the chicken pieces and saute them well, add in the sauces and mix well, water may be added to cook the chicken well. it will take around 3-5 mins.
- Now add in the boiled rice, scrambled eggs and some spring onion greens. Give it all a toss. Allow to cook for 1-2 mins. serve hot garnished with fresh greens and roasted crushed peanuts.
HEALTHY VERMICELLI NOODLES
Ingredients
Oil- 2 tsp
Rice vermicelli- 1 packet, boiled
Garlic- 4-5 cloves, sliced
Onions- 1 no, sliced/ chopped
Red chilies- 2-3 slit
Carrots- ½ cup shredded
Cabbage- ½ cup shredded
Green capsicum-1/2 cup shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
Beansprouts- ½ cup
Boiled eggs- 2-3 no cut into small cubes
Boiled chicken-1/2 cup cut into cubes
Prawns- 10-12 no, medium sized
Soy sauce-2 tsp
Green chili sauce-2 tsp
Peanut butter-2 tsp
White vinegar-1 tsp
Water-1/4 cup
Spring onion greens- 2-3 tbsp.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the healthy vermicelli noodles.
- 2.Heat oil and add in the red chilies, ginger, garlic, onions and saute them for a few seconds.
- Add in the carrots, cabbage, capsicums and sprouts give them all a nice toss in the wok, add in the prawns saute them as well.
- Add in seasonings, sauces and little water and allow to cook the mixture for 5- 6 mins.
- Now add in the boiled chicken pieces, the boiled rice vermicelli and gently mix it up into the pan with all the flavours.
- Cover and simmer the vermicelli for 4-5 mins and stir it all up once and drizzle a little white vinegar and boiled cut up eggs and serve it hot garnished with freshly chopped spring onion greens.
PRAWNS IN CHEFS SPECIAL TOSS STYLE
Ingredients
Large/ medium sized prawns- 500 gms, cleaned
Assorted bell peppers- 1 cup cubed, red- green- yellow capsicums
Oil-2 tsp
Sesame oil-1 tsp
Black peppercorns- 4-5 no
Star anise- 1-2 no
Ginger-1 tsp shredded
Garlic-1 tsp sliced
Shallots- 5-6 no peeled, cut 1 x 2
Salt and pepper to taste
Stock/ water-1/2 cup
For the stir fry sauce mixture
Tomato sauce- 2-3 tsp
Red chili sauce-1-2 tsp
Green chili sauce- 1-2 tsp
Soy sauce -1- 2 tsp
White vinegar-1-2 tsp
White wine- 1-2 tbsp.
Fennel seeds-1/2 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves- 1-2 tbsp.
Fresh herbs- 1-2 tbsp.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the stir fry wok tossed prawns.
- Clean the prawns well, devein them and was, marinate with a little salt and pepper and keep aside for 10 mins.
- Heat up the wok, add in the oil and add peppers, star anise and allow to flavour the oil, add in the onions, ginger, garlic, chilies and saute for a few seconds.
- Now add in the prawns, capsicums and saute them on a high flame for a minute. Add in seasonings, sauces and little stock or water and allow the prawns and peppers to cook up well around 6- 8 mins.
- Check for texture and if desired add in some cornflour and water solution to thicken up the sauces and coating up on the prawns and peppers once done.
- Finally garnish the wok tossed prawns with some fresh greens and a drizzle of sesame oil on the top. It can be enjoyed with cocktails etc as a party snack as well.
QUICK TOSS CHICKEN PEPPER FRY
Ingredients
Boneless chicken breasts- 400 gms, cut into 1-inch-long pieces
Snow peas- 100 gms, blanched
For the marination of chicken
Oil-2 tsp
Salt and pepper- to taste
White wine-2-3 tsp
Mustard paste-1 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste-1 tsp
Mixed herbs- ½ tsp
Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
For the stir fry in the wok
Oil- 2 tsp
Sesame oil-1 tsp
Red chilies- 2-3 slit
Green chilies-2-3 slit
Spring onion bulbs- 3-4 cut 1 x 4
Ginger-1 tsp sliced
Garlic-1 tsp sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Red capsicum-1/2 no cubed
Yellow capsicum-1/2 no cubed
Green capsicum-1/2 no cubed
Soya sauce- 2-3 tsp
Red chili sauce- 2-3 tsp
Green chili sauce-2-3 tsp
Capsico sauce-1/4 tsp
Water-1/2 cup
Brown sugar-1/2 tsp
Spring onion greens-2- 3 tbsp. chopped
Fried cashews- 2-3 tbsp.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the stir fry wok tossed chicken.
- Marinate the chicken pieces and keep aside for 10-12 mins.
- Prepare the other veggies as well and keep It handy for the wok toss.
- Heat up the wok, add in the oil, add chilies and ginger, garlic, onions and give it a nice toss for a few seconds.
- Add in the chicken pieces and saute them on a high for 1-2 mins, now add in the sauces and seasonings and little water or stock to be added in order to cook the chicken pieces for 3-4 mins.
- Finish up the chicken recipe adding in peppers, blanched snow peas, greens and check for seasonings, turn off the flame add in fried cashews towards the end and dish out the recipe and serve it hot.
WOK TOSSED CHICK-N- MANGO
Ingredients
Oil-2 tsp
Lemon grass- 3-4 pieces
Fresh basil leaves- 4-5 no
Slit green chilies- 2-3 no
Sliced onion-1/2 cup
Garlic-1 tsp chopped
Ginger-1 tsp sliced
Stock – ½ cup
Honey-1 tsp
Spring onions-2-3 tsp chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Sugar-1/2 tsp
Mango-1 cup cut into chunky pieces
Cornflour and water solution-2-3 tsp
For the chicken and marination:
Boneless chicken cubes- 250 gms, cut into small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
White vinegar-1tsp
Soy sauce-1 tsp
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the chicken and mango recipe.
- Cut the chicken pieces and apply the marination on it and keep aside for 12-15 mins.
- To start with the cooking process, heat up the wok and add in the lemon grass, chilies, garlic, ginger, onions and saute it all well.
- 4.Add in the chicken pieces and saute on a high flame a minute, add in the seasonings, sauces, little chicken stock or water and allow the chicken pieces to cook. Add in some yellow capsicum cubes as well if desired for the crunch in the chicken.
- Once the chicken is getting cooked, add in the mango cubes and give it a nice mix. Add a little cornflour water solution if desired to get it all thickening up together. Simmer for 1-2 mins, add in the greens and nuts/seeds etc to taste if desired and dish out the chicken mango duet recipe and enjoy it with some plain steamed jasmine rice or some steamed bus.
WOK TOSSED FLAT NOODLES
Ingredients
Thai flat noodles- 1 packet, boiled
Assorted non-veg- chicken sausages/ prawns/ chicken/ fish etc
Oil-2 tsp
Butter-1 tsp
Thai red chilies- 4-5 no slit
Lime leaves- 3-4 no
Lemon grass- 3-4 pieces
Ginger-1 tsp sliced
Garlic-1 tsp sliced
Onions-1 small sliced
Carrots- ½ cup shredded
Green capsicum-1/2 cup shredded
White cabbage-1/2 cup shredded
Beansprouts-1/2 cup
Salt and pepper to taste
Soy sauce-2 -3 tsp
Red chili sauce-2-3 tsp
Green chili sauce-2-3 tsp
Tomato sauce-1-2 tsp
Peanut butter-1-2 tsp
White vinegar-1-2 tsp
Brown sugar-1/2 tsp
Water-1/4 cup
Roasted crushed peanuts- 1-2 tbsp.
Spring onion greens- 2-3 tbsp. chopped
Sliced mushrooms-1 cup
Sliced Babycorn-1/2 cup
Green/ yellow zucchini-1/2 cup sliced blanched.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the wok tossed flat noodle recipe.
- Boil the thai flat noodles separately until just cooked, remove drain and refresh the noodles apply little oil and mix well, keep aside.
- To start with the cooking process of the flat noodles, heat up the wok and add in a little oil add in the chilies, garlic, ginger, chilies and onions.
- Saute it all well in the wok for a few seconds, add in the assorted veggies as listed from carrots to mushrooms, capsicum to Babycorn etc, add in seasonings, sauces, and mix well. add in little water and allow the veggies to cook for a few minutes.
- Now it is time to add in the boiled flat noodles, and in case of any non-veg ingredients like chicken, fish, prawns etc can be added at this stage.
- Check for the seasonings and garnish the flat noodles with assorted greens/ roasted crushed peanuts etc and serve it hot.
Celebrity Master Chef Dr Kaviraj Khialani is a Mumbai-based hotel-restaurant and food consultant. He is specialised in over 33 international cuisines and has quality experience with hotels and airlines as a part of his long journey of over two decades in his chosen field. Chef Kaviraj is a renowned author, academician, food designer, writer and has also been awarded several national awards and global recognitions for his talent & outstanding achievements. Besides having been featured on several food shows on ColorsTV and Star Plus he is a mentor, coach and guide to aspiring to be future chefs and hoteliers of tomorrow.
He can be contacted at twitter: @kaviraj_chef, Mobile: 91 9820939336.
