# How do you make good tasting stir-fry without adding soy sauce and using vegetable oil?



## mommyshoppinghabit (Aug 9, 2006)

I grew up eating stir fry. My mom stir fries everything and it ends up tasting juicy and savory...but she always adds either soy sauce or oyster sauce and she cooks w/canola oil. Sometimes she coats the meat in cornstarch. These are all ingredients I'd like to avoid. And I'd like to eat more veggies, but everytime I try to stir fry things like peppers, broccoli, I can't get to be tasty unless I overcook them. Any tips?


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## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

I think soy sauce is pretty important, myself.







But sesame oil adds a lot of flavour, plus toasted sesame seeds. You don't have to use sesame oil for the actual frying (use olive oil or whatever you like), but adding a few drops at the end gives it a lovely intense flavour. It is possible to get traditionally-fermented, non-MSG soy sauce, if that's why you're avoiding it.









Oh, and use plenty of onion and garlic. What kind of meat do you usually use? Do you marinate it?


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## cristeen (Jan 20, 2007)

It depends on your reasons for avoiding those ingredients...

Any fat with a high burn point can be used for stir-frying. Lard or coconut oil are the two I might use at home.

Cornstarch on the meat helps form a bit of a crust. You can use organic corn starch if your objection is GMOs, or you can use potato starch, tapioca starch, flour or just skip it. It will effect the texture a little bit, but not enough to make a huge difference, IMO.

As for soy sauce... again, it depends on why. If it's GMOs, there're organic soys. There are also traditionally fermented soys. If it's just soy, then you can try fish sauce, which has much of the same saltiness and umami, but not the same flavor. You can try miso... I believe there are a few that do not have soy, but they're not the easiest to find. Remember though that soy is your primary source of salt for a dish, so if you're substituting, you may need to add salt to get the right flavor (unless you're using fish sauce).

For myself, most of the flavor of a stir fry is in just a few ingredients. Ginger - I keep ginger juice and crushed ginger in the fridge at all times. Garlic - either fresh or I use red chile garlic paste. Toasted sesame oil - not regular, it must be toasted... go easy on it, it is extremely powerful. That's all that's really required. But, in addition to that I also keep chili sesame oil, and several premade asian sauces on hand (hoisin, plum, black bean), to suit my mood, and I always have the ingredients for sweet and sour sauce (pineapple juice, rice vinegar and soy).


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## rhiandmoi (Apr 28, 2006)

The biggest thing is to make sure the pan is super hot, and that it doesn't ever get too crowded. I don't buy oil other than olive oil usually so all my stir frying is done with olive oil. You do have to watch the temp so it doesn't start to burn and put a lot less in the pan at one time, but it works pretty good.


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## veganf (Dec 12, 2005)

IMO stir fry = soy sauce LOL
But I usually use peanut oil, not canola, (unless I know it is going to preschool with a nut-free policy).
But really, you could just add salt instead of soy sauce.
I like the thickening quality of cornstarch, but you could use potato starch, arrowroot, or agar.


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## PaulaJoAnne (Oct 18, 2008)

I prefer the style of stir fry that comes from Thialand and Laos.
No sauce.
I use lard and a bit of sesame oil, and season with ginger, salt and pepper.
The veges must remain somewhat crisp for it to ideal.
Cabbage and carrots are the best done this way.
We do not miss soy sauce. I tried a bit the other day, and was a bit revolted by the taste, and I used to love it.
If serving with rice, add plenty of butter to it.
Paula


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## CorasMama (May 10, 2002)

Miso is actually a healthy soy product, if you're avoiding soy for health reasons unrelated to allergy.

I personally love Braggs, sesame oil, ginger juice, and lime juice. Plus salt and pepper. Well, maybe not so much salt, if I'm using a lot of Braggs.


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## nicolelynn (Aug 18, 2006)

Fish sauce is a good substitute for soy sauce...it really dosn't taste fishy once it's cooked. And chicken stock to give it extra flavor.


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## tpintsch (Jun 26, 2008)

Braggs Liquid Aminos tastes just like soy sauce but is a lot healthier. Its made from Non-GMO soy beans. I love it.


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## Magelet (Nov 16, 2008)

also, if your worried about soy from a TF point of view, tamari or shoyu is fine, if it is fermented, which many are. Mind you, "naturally brewed" is not the same as fermented.


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