Oil-Free Stir-Fry

Oil-Free Stir-Fry

We genuinely could not believe this one worked as well as it did the first time we made it. A full-on, proper stir-fry with zero oil, and it tastes absolutely incredible. The secret weapon is blended cucumber, which keeps everything moving in the wok and adds this fresh, subtle flavour that works beautifully with the garlic, ginger, and a good kick of chilli. You've got crunch from the cashews, sweetness from the maple syrup, and a rainbow of veg that makes you feel brilliant for eating it. Honestly, make this tonight and you'll be shocked at how much flavour you can pack in without a drop of oil.

Cook: 10 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Blender
  • Wok
  • Cashews soaked (optional, for faster cooking)

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • green beans - handful
  • 1 cucumber
  • 80ml water
  • 40g cashews
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 inches of ginger
  • 1 red chilli sliced
  • 6 stems of tenderstem broccoli
  • 2 baby sweetcorn
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 spring onions
  • 3 nests wholewheat noodles
  • 1 handful of kale
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • Sriracha
  • coriander leaves sliced
  • chia seeds

Method

1

To start

  • Blend the cucumber and water together to form a liquid. This will be used as an oil replacer!
2

Make the stir fry

  • In a wok, heat some of the cucumber juice and add the garlic, ginger and cashews
  • Stir until the aroma of the garlic is released then add the chilli, carrot, broccoli & red pepper
  • Keep stirring and adding the cucumber mix if required
  • Mix in the baby sweetcorn, beans and then stir in the maple syrup, lime juice and soy sauce
  • Add the spring onions and kale last, cook for a minute or two, then stir in the noodles and serve
3

To serve

  • Garnish with sriracha, chia seeds and coriander leaves

Tips & Variations

  • Keep the heat high: This is a proper stir-fry so don't be shy with the heat. A hot wok is what gives you that slightly charred, restaurant-style finish on the veg. Low and slow won't cut it here.
  • Prep everything first: Ten minutes goes fast when you're stir-frying. Get all your veg chopped, your cucumber juice blended, and your sauce ready before anything goes near the wok. Trust us on this one.
  • Add noodles or rice: We love serving this over rice noodles or steamed jasmine rice to make it a proper filling dinner. Soba noodles work brilliantly too if you want to mix it up.

Why This Works

The trick here is the cucumber juice. It sounds a bit out there, we know, but blending cucumber with water gives you a liquid that stops everything sticking and steaming out all the goodness, without adding any heaviness. Keep adding it gradually as you stir and you'll get that classic wok-tossed texture without the oil. It's one of those ideas that makes you wonder why everyone isn't doing it.