Thai Stir Fry
Stir fry’s are great camping food. Cheap, quick and healthy – a complete meal can be thrown together and served in double quick time and keep the whole crew smiling.
This is a Thai style dish and uses a couple of chillies which can be left out if preferred.
Fresh lemon grass, ginger, turmeric and chillies freeze well and can be stored in the freezer in recipe size chunks.
The base mixture of herbs, root vegetables and spice can be prepared earlier and simply heated on site.
These styles of dishes are best cooked in a wok. The majority of domestic burners, either electric or dedicated gas wok burners, fail to reach the temperature of the commercial units. Stir Fry cooking traditionally requires a quick high heat that seals foods instantly. Vegetables are just cooked and have a noticeable crispness.
Stir Fry cooking on a camping trip can be seen as an opportunity to cook this style of food ‘properly’ by using a wok over a fire and generating enough heat so that the food doesn’t ‘stew’ through lack of temperature.
The quantity here will serve 2 – 4 people depending on hunger. Double or triple the quantities and cook meals in small batches. Overloading the wok means it loses temperature quickly.
Ingredients
Stir Fry Paste
2 cloves of garlic
½ inch cube of fresh ginger
½ inch cube of fresh turmeric
White stems of 2 spring onions (scallions)
1 fresh red chilli
2 tablespoons chopped coriander including root
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon ground cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground coriander powder
1 teaspoon of palm or raw sugar1/2 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
Grind these ingredients into a fine paste using a pestle and mortar or add to a blender with just enough water to facilitate mixing.
Stir Fry Liquid
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
½ cup thick coconut milk
Mix all liquids together and set aside.
Base Ingredients
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large chicken breast thinly sliced
1 stem fresh lemon grass, bruised
½ cup fresh basil leaves
1 fresh red chill, sliced into rings
2 cups of sliced, mixed fresh vegetables (capsicum, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, celery, beans etc.)
Garnish & Noodles
2 cups cooked asian style noodles
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
Green stems of the 2 spring onions, sliced
Method
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok until nearly smoking hot and immediately add small batches of vegetables ‘stir frying’ for a minute for each batch before removing them from the wok with a slotted spoon.
Add remaining oil and add basil leaves, lemon grass and the blended paste. Stir fry for 30 seconds without allowing the mixture to burn.
Add sliced chicken and quickly fry for a few minutes until chicken browns and changes colour.
Add blended liquid and simmer rapidly for a few minutes until the chicken is done.
Return vegetables to the pan and stir through the chopped coriander and the green spring onions.
Add the cooked noodles and toss for a minute until they have heated through and then serve immediately.