For cooking in Europe, it is customary to use pots, pans, pressure cookers and ducklings. And in Asian countries, wok has found widespread use - special dishes that look like a bowl in appearance. Now this kitchenware is gradually gaining popularity in our country due to its ease of use and a wide range of advantages.
Description
The cast-iron wok is an Asian-style frying pan , a small pot, which you can recognize by the following features:
- Wide sides.
- Flat bottom.
- The diameter of the bottom is about 15 cm, the widest part of modern pans for the home can be 30-40 cm.
- Wall thickness - 3 mm or 9 mm.
Thanks to its special design, such dishes make it possible to cook food over high heat. The pros and cons of the eastern pan, which is increasingly included in our everyday life, are presented in the table.
Advantages and disadvantages of cast iron wokpros | Minuses |
Keeps warm for a long time | Must be used in a special way |
Easy to use | The price is slightly higher than that of a conventional pan |
The ability to fry foods over high heat | The dishes are quite heavy and massive |
The ability to cook a wide variety of dishes | Cast iron is prone to rust even with the most careful care. |
You can cook with a minimum of oil - it is both economical and healthy | It heats up for a long time, so cooking something quickly will fail. |
Possibility of use on gas, electric and induction cookers | |
The wok combines the functionality of a frying pan and pan, allows you to cook a variety of dishes.
Story
Woks began to be used in China many centuries ago. Celestial Empire is also famous for the fact that it was here that cast iron was first smelted. Gradually, this convenient tableware spread to other Asian countries. The diameter of the first frying pans often reached more than a meter, they were considered real luxuries and were only in wealthy houses. The classic wok had a round bottom, which was later adapted for cooking on stoves and became flat. Now these deep pans are widespread not only in institutions specializing in oriental cuisine, but also in everyday life.
What to cook?
Asian cast-iron wok is used to fry food while preserving its beneficial properties. The scope of its use is very diverse. With the help of cast-iron wok, you can cook various dishes:
- flavorful meat with vegetables;
- stewed potatoes with carrots and onions;
- mushrooms in a spicy sauce;
- prawns in wine sauce;
- rice noodles with meat and vegetables;
- udon and soba noodles.
Interestingly, the ancient Chinese used this pan even to make tea.
It is important to remember that the central part of the cast-iron cauldron-wok is the zone with the highest temperature, it is here that products that need to be fried before the appearance of a delicious crust should be placed. Other products should be placed in the side areas and the continuous stirring should not be forgotten. Equipping dishes with a grid, it is easy to cook healthy vegetables for a couple.
In such a cast-iron skillet, you can quickly fry vegetables over high heat, stirring continuously. The components should be added alternately: first meat, then carrots, onions, tomatoes and peppers. Finally, pre-cooked noodles and aromatic spices are laid.
Care
Each housewife is quite able to cope with the use of cast-iron wok with a lid in her kitchen. Before the first use, cookware must be baked in the oven. To remove the remains of technical oils, coarse salt should be added to the pan - it perfectly absorbs all harmful substances. It is very important not to allow cooked food to be in such a dish, therefore, after completing the dish, it must be immediately transferred to another container.
It is not customary to wash such a pan using the usual detergents for many housewives. It is enough to wipe the bottom and walls with a wet sponge and dry with a towel. Then with a cotton pad cover the surface with a layer of vegetable oil.
Where could I buy?
Getting wok is pretty easy. Such dishes are presented in the assortment of specialized stores and on manufacturers' websites. When buying, it is very important to pay attention to the presence of the lid - it will help to make the arsenal of dishes that can be prepared in a pan much wider. And since the wok has a rather impressive diameter, acquiring a lid separately can cause some difficulties.
It should be remembered: cast iron is heavy metal, so to carry utensils, one overhead handle will not be enough, models with two side handles will help.
Cast iron wok: reviews
People who have already purchased Chinese dishes, note in their reviews the opportunity to cook in a wok a large number of dishes that have a special taste. Users also indicate that it is a pleasure to cook in such a dish, it is enough to wait until the cast iron is heated, and gradually add finely chopped components. And professional chefs fell in love with woks even earlier, noting that creating a dish with a traditional oriental taste has become very simple.