Woks have arguably taken over our kitchen owing to the ease that comes with cooking in them. One of the methods commonly used in cooking using a wok is stir fry. But you might be asking, What Can You Cook in a Wok Besides Stir-fry??
You can cook other foods apart from Chinese dishes in a wok. To add to that, you can also use other cooking methods such as steaming, poaching, boiling, stewing, and pan-frying among others. In this article, you will find the answer what you can cook in a wok besides stir fry?
Let’s get to it
What Can you Cook in a wok Besides Stir Fry? – List Of Food
Here is a list of food you can cook in a wok besides stir fry.
· Cooking eggs in a wok
You can prepare different types of eggs recipes in a wok. These include different types of scrambled, boiled, and omelet. This is due to woks uniform heating which makes the omelet thin and tender. In the case of scrambled eggs, you will get well-cooked eggs that don’t stick on the wok even if added to pre-cooked vegetables.
If you want to get the eggs preparation right- omelets, and scrambled eggs, you will have to pre-heat your wok and cover it with cooking oil. That will help you avoid sticking or undesired result.
· Deep fry in a wok
Deep-frying in a wok needs one with heavy bottom due to the high heat you will need to cook. This cooking method in a wok has benefits like fewer splatters, ease of access, and less cooking oil use.
The type of foods you can deep fry in a wok includes but is not limited to French fries, chicken nuggets, funnel cakes, doughnuts, and karaage. However, you will find it challenging to deep fry chicken breasts in a wok.
To deep fry in a wok, you will fill the wok with cooking oil (of 350®F and above smoking point) to your desired point of depth. Then, you will set it on heat, and using a thermometer, check if it has attained the smoking point temperature. Carefully drop your food in the hot oil and once golden brown, remove it using a slotted spoon or a spider strainer.
· Steam vegetable and fish in a wok
Steaming involves putting food lid-covered food on a perforated surface on top of simmering water. The steam heats cook the food gently. This method can be used in a wok to cook delicate delicacies such as fish and vegetables.
To use a wok for steaming, you will need a disposable aluminum pie plate and a pot lid. You will poke several holes on the disposable plate with a skewer and then invert it on top of the water holding wok. Place your food on top of the perforated aluminum plate then cover it with the lid then place on heat.
The steam from the boiling water will heat your fish and vegetables till cooked. If you want to cook your fish with a grill pan you also can do that.
· Cooking burger in a wok
Burgers are among the food you can cook in a wok apart from stir fry. You will need to heat a seasoned wok over medium heat. You will then add oil splash and gently swirl the wok for uniform coating on the sides.
The wok will start smoking, press the burgers around the sides then cook. Using a spatula, turn burgers to cook the other sides until you are satisfied that they are ready.
· Can you make popcorn in a wok?
Yes, you can. Owing to its heavy material that evenly distributes heat, a wok can perfectly make popcorns. You will place the cooking oil and a few kernels of the popcorn in a wide wok. Cover the wok using a lid, then turn the heat to medium-low.
Cook the popcorn while continuously shaking it till the popping sound stops. Set the wok down and check if all the kernels are popped.
· Making pasta in a wok
You can also make pasta in a wok. To do this, you will need one-pot spaghetti and use at least five times water to the amount. Time your water when it starts to boil. It will take you around 8-12 minutes to be ready. You can taste the pasta after 4 minutes.
· Smoking food in a wok
Apart from stir frying’ you can use a wok to smoke food. The food smoked can either be fish or chicken. How do you transform your wok into a smoker?
You will line with a foil, then add a mixture of loose black tea at the bottom, rice, and brown sugar. Set a cake rack above the mixture and you will have your smoker for seafood or fish.
Factors that Determine Which Methods to Use in a Wok Besides Stir fry
Cooking in a wok comes in various ways, here are the factors that determine which methods to use in a wok.
Food texture
Some food with a hard texture such as beef will require a cooking method such as boiling since it requires a long cooking time. Whereas, soft-textured food such as vegetables or fish, you will only require to steam them.
Heat requirement
The amount of heat you will require to cook using a wok also determines which method to cook using in a wok. Food such as popcorn requires low medium heat. However, when preparing eggs, whether boiled, scrambled, or omelet, you will require high heat that heats the cooking oil to the smoking point.
Quantity
The quantity of food you are preparing should help you determine which cooking method to use in a wok apart from stir fry. For example, while deep frying can make your food of small quantities, it isn’t effective for cooking a large amount of food.
Conclusion
As you have learned, there are different food types that you can cook in a wok apart from stir fry. Wok being a modern necessity in our kitchen, you should get some to use in your various cooking. Furthermore, you will enjoy some of the health benefits of using this cooking appliance.
Some of these benefits include the use of little oil while cooking and saves you time by preparing healthy food in a short time. Apart from that, your food will be evenly cooked.
