While China boasts diverse cooking methods, stir-frying remains particularly prevalent compared to other countries. However, many households develop unhealthy habits when stir-frying. Let's examine these practices.
1. Washing vegetables after cutting
Vegetables contain abundant vitamins. Soaking them in water after cutting causes water-soluble vitamins like B vitamins and vitamin C, along with some minerals, to leach away.For healthier eating, wash vegetables thoroughly and drain them before cutting. Cook prepared vegetables promptly to prevent nutrient oxidation.Additionally, adding salt and oil to the water helps prevent oxidase enzymes from breaking down chlorophyll while enhancing the vegetables' color. 3. Pre-frying ingredients before cooking To enhance flavor, many people pre-fry ingredients like green beans or stir-fried vegetables in oil before continuing the cooking process.This practice not only destroys the vegetables' inherent nutrients but also leads to excessive fat intake, making weight gain more likely.
4. Adding salt too early
Many believe adding salt early enhances flavor, but this causes nutrients to leach out with the juices. When stewing meat, early salting causes proteins to coagulate prematurely, making the meat harder to digest;the gamey smell won't evaporate, and the broth won't be flavorful. 5. Adding ingredients only when oil is smoking While hot oil is needed for stir-frying, never wait until the oil is smoking. When oil reaches smoking point, its temperature often exceeds 200°C. Adding ingredients at this stage not only destroys nutrients but also increases the risk of producing carcinogens, raising cancer risk.
6. Adding cold water to a hot pan while stir-frying greens
Sometimes, when stir-frying, you might notice insufficient moisture and the vegetables drying out, prompting you to add a large amount of cold water midway. However, this causes the temperature in the pan to drop abruptly. The sudden change in temperature makes the vegetables tough and unpalatable, while also causing a loss of nutrients.If water must be added during cooking, use a small amount of lukewarm water. This minimizes temperature disruption and helps maintain the vegetables' crispness and tenderness.
7. Reusing the pan without washing between dishes
Many people skip washing the pan between dishes, either to save time or because it appears clean. However, even seemingly clean pans harbor invisible food particles and grease residue.When the wok is heated again at high temperatures, these residues can produce carcinogens like benzopyrene. Therefore, before stir-frying the next dish, do not cut corners—always wash the wok thoroughly. 8. Reusing oil from deep-frying for stir-frying Many people have experienced this: feeling wasteful about leftover frying oil, they save it for future stir-frying.However, this practice is inadvisable. Oil heated to high temperatures produces toxic substances, and reusing it for high-heat cooking dramatically increases carcinogen production. Thus, leftover frying oil should not be reheated. To avoid waste, use it for stews or baking items like steamed buns.