Stir frying is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and the West. It is similar to sautéing in Western cooking technique.
Wok frying may have been used as early as the Han dynasty for drying grain, not for cooking. It was not until the Ming dynasty that the wok reached its modern shape and allowed quick cooking in hot oil. From Wikipedia
