Stir-fry is one of the easiest things in the world to make. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want. It’s also a really great way to get your daily requirement of healthy vegetables. Living in the Top End’s multicultural community and the vast array of options for cheap, fresh, locally grown exotic vegetables, provides plenty of scope to really make your stir-fry both tasty and authentic. You can also make it healthy but really tasty by putting in lots of veggies, and “ secret” healthy ingredients like garlic, turmeric and ginger, that will not only make it taste good, but will also boost your immune system and your brain. We’ve also thrown in some suggestions for making it easy and simple or more interesting and unusual. This works best when cooked in a wok, but if you don’t have one, a large, deep frypan will work fine. Serves about 2.  If you’re cooking for friends you can always cook more rice if budget is low.

Ingredients

2 cups of mixed vegetables.
Head down to one of many  Darwin’s local markets for cheap, fresh, locally sourced vegetables. Think Asian vegetables, okra, beans , capsicum and anything that takes your fancy. Especially Rapid Creek on a  Sunday Morning or Malak Marketplace on a Saturday evening. For a quick and easier version grab a mixed bag of stir-fry veggies from your local supermarket.

Meat: Chicken/prawns/ beef/lamb/fish (optional). For extra protein grab some meat from the supermarket. It will really soak up the flavours in your sauce and help fill out your stir fry.

Fresh coriander, chopped

1 cup of jasmine rice. ( For a healthier option try brown rice, but it will take longer to cook)

Fresh chilli to taste

Olive or peanut oil.

2 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of fresh slice turmeric ( if you can’t get fresh turmeric the dry stuff in a jar is fine)

Sliced fresh ginger to taste

Sauce
The cheat’s way is just to use a store bought jar. There are lots of options available. If you want to be more adventurous and healthier, try this one:

3 generous dashes of plum sauce

3 generous dashes of oyster sauce

3 generous dashes of soy sauce

2 dashes of sesame sauce

Method

Rinse your rice 3 times to get rid of the starchiness. This helps stop it from getting gluggy. Put enough water in to cover the rice. Rule of thumb is enough water to cover up to the top of your thumbnail on top of the rice. Cover with lid and allow to cook for around 20 mins. Keep an eye on it.

Put a small amount of oil in a medium -  hot pan.

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute

Add your sauce or sauce ingredients.

Add ginger and turmeric and chilli. Stir for a few minutes until really fragrant. 

Add meat and coat in in the sauce , allow to brown.

Add vegetables, stir and allow to simmer on low heat for 5- 7 minutes. Stir  regularly while cooking

Add coriander

Serve with rice. Bon Appetit!

Cost around $6 per serve without meat or around $9 with meat. Have you got a cheap and healthy recipe to share? Let us know