Stir-Fry
Quick cooking in a hot pan with frequent movement.
What Is This Technique?
Quick cooking in a hot pan with frequent movement.
When Chinese Cooks Use It
For small, evenly cut ingredients that cook quickly.
Equipment
- Wok or wide skillet
- Spatula
Key Principles
- Prepare ingredients before heating the pan.
- Cook in batches if the pan is crowded.
Step-by-Step
- Cut ingredients evenly.
- Heat the pan and add oil.
- Cook ingredients in the right sequence.
- Season and serve promptly.
Common Mistakes
- Overcrowding the pan.
- Adding wet vegetables without drying them.
Related Ingredients
Related Techniques
Recipes Using This Technique

Luffa and Egg Stir-Fry
丝瓜炒鸡蛋
Soft luffa and scrambled eggs are combined with garlic, soy sauce and oyster sauce in this simple home-style stir-fry.
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Pork Belly with Lurong Mushrooms
五花肉炒鹿茸菇
Rehydrated lurong mushrooms and pork belly are cooked with chiles and garlic sprouts in a savory sauce.
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Cabbage and Egg Stir-Fry
包菜炒鸡蛋
Hand-torn cabbage and soft pieces of egg are quickly stir-fried with garlic, light soy sauce and oyster sauce.
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Chicken Breast and Button Mushroom Stir-Fry
口蘑炒鸡胸肉
The supplied Chinese text introduces chicken breast with button mushrooms but does not include a complete method.
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Beef with Button Mushrooms and Green Pepper
口蘑青椒炒牛肉
Beef and green pepper are stir-fried with button mushrooms that are first cooked in a dry pan to release their moisture.
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Beef with Button Mushrooms and Cucumber
口蘑黄瓜炒牛肉
Cucumber and button mushrooms add contrasting textures to thinly sliced beef seasoned with soy sauce and oyster sauce.
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Kung Pao Chicken
宫保鸡丁
Chicken breast is stir-fried with dried chiles, Sichuan peppercorns and peanuts in the supplied sweet, sour and savory sauce.
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Beef Chow Fun
干炒牛河
The Chinese text gives tips for pan-frying wide rice noodles and tenderizing beef, but the complete beef chow fun method is missing.
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Oyster Mushroom and Egg Stir-Fry
平菇炒鸡蛋
Oyster mushrooms, eggs and peppers are stir-fried with garlic and soy seasoning after the mushrooms are briefly blanched.
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Beef and Chinese Lettuce Stir-Fry
油麦菜炒牛肉
Thin beef slices and Chinese lettuce are stir-fried with garlic and chiles in a savory soy-seasoned sauce.
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Beef with Tomatoes and Soft Eggs
番茄牛肉滑蛋
Beef slices and soft eggs are folded into a tomato sauce flavored with garlic and soy sauce.
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Sliced Beef, Tomato and Egg Stir-Fry
番茄肥牛炒鸡蛋
Thin hot-pot beef slices are combined with eggs and tomatoes in a savory tomato sauce.
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Tomato, Egg and Marinated Beef Stir-Fry
番茄鸡蛋炒牛肉
Marinated beef and scrambled eggs are combined with tomatoes and a separately mixed soy-tomato sauce.
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Tofu with Tomatoes and Eggs
番茄鸡蛋豆腐
Golden pan-fried tofu and scrambled eggs are brought together in a fresh tomato sauce.
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Snow Peas with Chinese Sausage
荷兰豆炒腊肠
Crisp snow peas are stir-fried with sliced Chinese sausage and garlic after a brief blanching step.
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Squid Tentacles with Garlic Scapes
蒜苔炒鱿鱼须
Squid tentacles and garlic scapes are stir-fried with chiles, peppers and a little cumin in a chili-bean sauce.
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Garlic Shrimp and Glass Noodle Stir-Fry
蒜蓉粉丝虾
Shrimp-head oil, garlic and chopped chiles flavor a dry-style stir-fry of shrimp and glass noodles.
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Garlic Beef and Shrimp Stir-Fry
蒜香牛肉炒虾仁
Beef and shrimp are stir-fried with golden whole garlic cloves and green pepper.
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Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
西兰花炒牛肉丁
Diced beef tenderloin and blanched broccoli are stir-fried with garlic, black pepper and soy seasoning.
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Beef and Bitter Melon with Black Beans
豆豉苦瓜炒牛肉
Beef and bitter melon are stir-fried with fermented black beans and garlic in an oyster-sauce glaze.
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Pork and Green Pepper Stir-Fry
辣椒炒肉
Lean and fatty pork pieces are stir-fried with green peppers and garlic in a simple soy and oyster sauce seasoning.
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Chicken with Green Peppers
青椒炒鸡
Chicken first simmers with green peppers, then finishes with a fresh addition of chopped pepper and garlic.
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Shredded Pork and Green Pepper Stir-Fry
青椒肉丝
Pork strips and green pepper are stir-fried with a separately mixed chili-bean and soy sauce.
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Eggs with Green Peppers and Black Beans
青椒豆豉炒鸡蛋
Scrambled eggs are stir-fried with green peppers, garlic and fermented black beans.
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Squid with Peppers and Onion
青红椒洋葱爆炒鱿鱼
Squid rings, peppers and onion are quickly stir-fried in a light soy and oyster sauce seasoning.
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Sweet Potato Noodles with Chives, Bean Sprouts and Eggs
韭菜豆芽鸡蛋炒粉
Sweet potato starch noodles are stir-fried with bean sprouts, Chinese chives and scrambled eggs.
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Tofu with Chili Bean Sauce and Vegetables
鱼香豆腐
Fried tofu is stir-fried with carrot, green pepper and wood ear mushrooms in a chili-bean sauce.
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Pork and Cucumber Stir-Fry
黄瓜炒肉片
Pork slices and cucumber are stir-fried with garlic, dried chiles and a little Sichuan pepper oil.
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Kung Pao Shrimp with Cashews
宫保虾球
Curled shrimp and cooked cashews are tossed in a chile-scented soy sauce with scallions, ginger and garlic.
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Chicken with Green Sichuan Peppercorns
青花椒炒鸡
Deboned chicken and fresh chiles are stir-fried with green Sichuan peppercorns and a soy-based marinade.
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Rice-Cooker Chicken Legs with Vegetable Fried Rice
焖鸡腿菜饭
Chicken legs cook over onion and ginger in a rice cooker and are served with choy sum and sweetcorn fried rice.
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Beef and Bean Sprout Stir-Fry
豆芽牛肉
Beef tenderloin and bean sprouts are stir-fried with garlic, dried chiles and green pepper, with vinegar added around the pan.
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Cucumber and Egg Rice Bowl
黄瓜鸡蛋盖饭
Cucumber, carrot and scrambled eggs are tossed with garlic and a light soy-and-oyster sauce, then served over rice.
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Cucumber and Chicken Rice Bowl
黄瓜鸡丁盖饭
Diced chicken thigh and cucumber are stir-fried with garlic and oyster sauce for a rice bowl.
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Street-Style Egg and Sausage Fried Noodles
路边摊炒面
Prepared noodles are stir-fried with egg, ham sausage, greens and bean sprouts, then seasoned with cumin and chile.
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Ground Beef Curry Rice
咖喱碎牛肉饭
Ground beef, potato, carrot and onion are cooked with prepared curry blocks and finished with cilantro or celery sprouts.
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Tomato and Potato Rice Bowl
番茄土豆片盖饭
Thin potato slices cook in tomato juices with garlic and green pepper for a simple savory rice bowl.
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Shrimp and Egg Rice Bowl with Chile Bean Sauce
宫保虾仁鸡蛋盖饭
Shrimp and scrambled eggs combine with carrot, green pepper and wood ear mushrooms in a sweet-sour chile bean sauce.
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Homemade Beef Stir-Fried Noodles
干煸炒面
Homemade egg noodles are stir-fried with marinated beef, onion, chiles and doubanjiang.
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Dry-Pot Cauliflower with Pork Belly
干锅花菜
Cauliflower cooks in rendered pork belly fat with chiles, garlic and doubanjiang in this dry-pot-style stir-fry.
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Dry-Pot Sausage Instant Noodles
干锅香肠泡面
Instant noodles and dried beef sausage are stir-fried with onion, green pepper and chile bean paste.
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Cabbage and Egg Glass Noodles
包菜炒粉丝
Glass noodles are stir-fried with cabbage, scrambled egg and ham sausage in a soy-and-oyster sauce.
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Tomato Beef and Egg Rice Bowl
番茄牛肉滑蛋饭
Tender beef and scrambled eggs are coated in a thickened tomato sauce and served over rice.
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Tomato and Ground Beef Pasta
番茄肉酱意面
Ground beef and golden onion simmer with tomato before pasta is tossed through the lightly thickened sauce.
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Thai-Inspired Basil Pork Rice
打抛饭
Ground pork is stir-fried with garlic, chiles, basil and a prepared Thai basil pork sauce, then served over rice.
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Moo Shu Pork Rice Bowl
木须肉盖饭
Pork, egg, wood ear mushrooms, carrot and cucumber are stir-fried together and served as a savory rice topping.
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Fish Slices with Green Sichuan Peppercorns
椒麻鱼片
Thin fish slices are briefly poached, then quickly tossed with green Sichuan peppercorns, chiles and a thickened soy sauce.
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Black Pepper Beef Pasta
黑椒牛柳意面
Beef tenderloin, onion and peppers are stir-fried with pasta in a black pepper soy sauce.
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Crisp Pork Bites with Sweet-Sour Sauce
溜肉段
Double-fried pork bites are quickly coated in a sweet-sour sauce with garlic, green pepper and carrot.
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Spicy Korean-Style Instant Noodle Stir-Fry
炒火鸡面
Spicy instant noodles are stir-fried with egg, ham sausage and green pepper using their supplied sauce packet.
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Hand-Pulled Noodles with Tomato and Peppers
炒面炒拉条
Hand-pulled or hand-rolled noodles are tossed with tomato, onion and peppers in a chile bean sauce.
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Luncheon Meat and Lettuce Fried Rice
午餐肉生菜炒饭
Cooked rice is stir-fried with golden luncheon meat, scrambled egg and chopped lettuce.
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Lotus Root Stir-Fry with Peppercorns
炝炒藕片
Lotus root slices are stir-fried with garlic, dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns, with rice vinegar added around the pan.
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Beef and Pepper Instant Noodle Stir-Fry
牛肉炒泡面
Instant noodles are stir-fried with marinated beef, onion and two kinds of fresh chile.
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Ground Beef and Egg Fried Rice
牛肉炒饭
Rice is coated with raw egg before stir-frying with ground beef, onion and carrot.
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Beef and Shrimp Udon Stir-Fry
牛肉虾仁炒乌冬面
Udon noodles are tossed with cooked beef, shrimp, onion and peppers in a savory soy sauce.
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Tomato and Pork Rice Bowl
番茄炒肉盖饭
Thin pork collar slices are stir-fried with peeled tomatoes and green pepper and served over rice.
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Tomato Stir-Fry with Crispy Fried Egg
番茄炒蛋
Egg is fried into loose crisp pieces before being combined with diced and chunky tomatoes in a lightly thickened sauce.
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Tomato Beef and Soft Egg Rice Bowl
番茄牛肉滑蛋饭
Beef slices and scrambled eggs are folded into a garlic-tomato sauce and spooned over cooked rice.
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Chopped Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice
碎虾仁炒饭
Chopped shrimp, egg and ham sausage are stir-fried with rice, carrot and cucumber.
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Sliced Beef and Cabbage Udon
肥牛炒乌冬面
Udon noodles and pre-cooked thin beef rolls are stir-fried with cabbage, carrot and onion.
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Garlic Clam Stir-Fry
蒜香花甲
Opened clams on half shells are briefly stir-fried with garlic, chiles and a thickened soy-and-oyster sauce.
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Garlic Chile Shrimp Pasta
蒜香辣虾仁意面
Shrimp and pasta are tossed with fried garlic, dried chiles and paprika in a savory soy sauce.
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Spicy Curled Shrimp with Chile Bean Sauce
香辣虾球
Deeply split shrimp curl as they cook and are coated with a chile bean sauce, onion and fresh herbs.
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Potato and Dried Beef Sausage Rice Bowl
土豆香肠盖饭
Thin potatoes and green pepper cook with dried beef sausage in a savory pan sauce for serving over rice.
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Typhoon Shelter-Style Lamb Spine
避风塘羊蝎子
Lamb spine is braised, then stir-fried with garlic, chiles and a prepared typhoon shelter-style seasoning.
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Spicy Clam and Shrimp Stir-Fry
香辣花甲虾
Clams and pan-fried shrimp are tossed together in a thickened garlic-chile bean sauce.
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Spicy Shell-On Shrimp with Onion
香辣虾
Shell-on shrimp are pan-fried and coated in a spicy chile bean sauce with onion and scallions.
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Cucumber Shrimp and Egg Stir-Fry
黄瓜虾仁鸡蛋
Cucumber slices, shrimp and scrambled eggs are separately cooked and combined with garlic and a light soy-and-oyster sauce.
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Beef Cubes with Bell Peppers and King Oyster Mushrooms
彩椒牛肉粒
Beef tenderloin cubes and golden king oyster mushrooms are stir-fried with bell peppers, onion and garlic.
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Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry
西兰花炒虾仁
Peeled shrimp and broccoli florets are tossed in a garlic-and-ginger soy sauce.
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Cucumber Carrot and Egg Stir-Fry
黄瓜胡萝卜炒鸡蛋
Cucumber and carrot are stir-fried with scrambled eggs and a simple oyster-sauce seasoning.
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Jing Jiang Rou Si (Peking Shredded Pork)
京酱肉丝
Fine pork strips are coated in sweet bean sauce and served with cucumber and tofu skin to wrap at the table.
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Egg and Scallion Stir-Fry with Soybean Sauce
大葱炒鸡蛋
Eggs and browned scallion sections are coated in a thickened soy-and-soybean-paste sauce.
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Chicken Noodles with Two Chiles
双椒鸡炒面
Chicken thigh, green and red chiles and Sichuan peppercorns are tossed with noodles and chili oil.
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Chicken Stir-Fry with Young Ginger
仔姜炒鸡
Chicken pieces are stir-fried with crisp young ginger, fresh and pickled chiles and garlic shoots.
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Pan-Fried Eggs with Blistered Green Chiles
青椒爆蛋
Large pieces of fried egg are tossed with blistered green chiles, garlic and fermented black beans.
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Eggplant with Blistered Green Chiles
擂椒茄子
Steamed eggplant is pressed and stir-fried with blistered green chiles, garlic and fermented black beans.
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Tomato Potato and Egg Stir-Fry
番茄土豆炒蛋
Thin potato slices and tomatoes are stir-fried with large pieces of fried egg and green pepper.
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Fried Eggs with Vinegar and Chiles
醋溜鸡蛋
Whole eggs are fried, broken into large pieces and tossed with a tangy chile-and-garlic sauce.
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Celtuce and Chinese Sausage Stir-Fry
莴笋炒腊肠
Crisp celtuce slices are stir-fried with cured sausage, garlic and fresh chiles.
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Braised Beef and Celtuce Stir-Fry
卤牛肉炒莴笋
Beef is pressure-braised with whole spices, sliced and stir-fried with celtuce and fresh chiles.
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Ground Meat and Bok Choy Stir-Fry
肉末炒青菜
Ground meat and small bok choy are quickly stir-fried with light soy sauce and oyster sauce.
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Black Pepper Chicken and Cucumber
黑椒鸡肉黄瓜丁
Diced chicken breast and cucumber are tossed with black pepper and oyster sauce after a short marinade.
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Cumin Beef Stir-Fry with Cilantro
孜然炒牛肉
Beef slices are stir-fried with onion, fresh chiles, cumin and cilantro.
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Dry-Fried Green Beans with Chiles
干煸豆角
Blistered green beans are tossed with dried chiles, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic and sesame.
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Tofu Puffs and Pork Stir-Fry
油豆腐炒肉
Tofu puffs absorb a savory pork-and-garlic sauce before green pepper and fresh chiles are added.
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Korean-Style Spicy Squid Stir-Fry
韩式辣炒鱿鱼
Squid and onion are coated in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce with fresh chiles and sesame.
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Water Spinach Stems and Lean Meat Stir-Fry
空心菜梗炒肉
Crushed water spinach stems and thin meat slices are stir-fried with chiles and a prepared fermented black bean sauce.
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Clam Stir-Fry with Garlic and Chiles
爆炒花甲
Clams are briefly boiled, then stir-fried with garlic, chiles and a thickened soy sauce.
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Beef and Snow Pea Stir-Fry
荷兰豆炒牛肉
Beef and blanched snow peas are quickly stir-fried with garlic, fresh chiles and a simple soy seasoning.
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Pork Belly and Green Garlic Stir-Fry
蒜苗回锅肉
Pork belly is directly stir-fried with green garlic and chile bean paste, following the supplied home-style method.
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Garlic Shrimp and Glass Noodles
蒜蓉粉丝虾
Whole shrimp and glass noodles cook in a garlic-scented soy-and-beer sauce with fresh chiles.
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Garlic Shrimp with Soy Glaze
蒜蓉虾仁
Peeled shrimp are briefly stir-fried and returned to a garlic-and-soy sauce that is thickened with starch.
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Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry
蒜蓉西兰花
Blanched broccoli is tossed in a thickened garlic sauce with light soy sauce, oyster sauce and fresh chiles.
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Zucchini and Pork Stir-Fry
西葫芦炒肉
Salted and drained zucchini strips are stir-fried with marinated pork, ginger, garlic and fresh chiles.
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Eggplant and Green Bean Stir-Fry
豆角炒茄子
Eggplant and fully cooked green beans are tossed with garlic, fresh chiles and a thickened soy sauce.
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Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes
酸辣土豆丝
Rinsed potato shreds are quickly stir-fried with green pepper, dried chiles and two additions of vinegar.
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Shiitake Mushroom and Bok Choy Stir-Fry
香菇油菜
Shiitake mushrooms and bok choy are blanched and tossed with garlic in a thickened soy-and-oyster sauce.
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Pressed Tofu Pork and Celery Stir-Fry
芹菜香干炒肉
Pressed tofu is browned first, then stir-fried with pork, celery, green garlic and fresh chiles.
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