Stir fries are such a staple dish in South East Asia. You can vary the ingredients, adding or omitting meat and fish, changing the vegetables according to season or what you have in your fridge, and serving with either rice or noodles. The possibilities, as they say, are endless.

One thing that stays the same with every stir fry is the sauce it's cooked in. Using essential ingredients from your store cupboard (see list below), you will always be able to rustle up a delicious meal in no time.

Add a few extras and create an entirely new dish!

Stir Fry sauce for 4

3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Mix everything together before you start cooking.

Variations

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp prawn paste

Cook’s notes - this applies to all stir fries

Heat a little oil in the wok/pan and fry meat if using, before adding the vegetables.
Chop the vegetables into similar sized pieces so they take the same amount of cooking. The exceptions are garlic and ginger, which should be finely chopped, crushed or grated.
After the contents of the wok have been cooking for just a couple of minutes (with you stirring or tossing them to help even cooking), then add the sauce and bring to bubbling point.
Beansprouts should go in at the last minute. They will cook in the heat from the wok as you carry it to the table or plate up.