So, you have got a great chinese recipe you want to try out but you realize you are not prepared at all for the demands of Chinese cooking.
Well, there are many ways you can recreate what you should have with what you might have on hand. This goes for cookware as well as actual food ingredients.
An important part of cooking any Chinese recipe to perfection is to use the right cookware. Many people dont own a wok or rice cooker however and will have to use what they have in the kitchen.
A normal frying pan can work as a wok but its best to use a very deep frying pan that is at least 1 and a half inches deep.
Woks rely on oil and high heat to cook meat and vegetables and if you use a shallow pan, grease will get all over and might even spill out and start on fire. Thats no good at all.
For rice, a normal saucepan will work but you need to make sure you have a tight fitting lid. Tin foil over the top will work in an emergency but can burn you and is not recommended.
Many Chinese recipes call for a meat or seafood to be breaded and deep fried. Without a deep fryer, you are going to have a mess no matter what.
The deepest cooking pot or saucepan you have will work but will probably splash all over no matter how you try to contain it.
These are basic solutions but having the proper equipment can really make a difference. An electric wok is very easy to clean and can also be used to deep fry.
A rice cooker really isnt necessary unless you truly cant cook rice. Buy what you need and have fun with your new recipes.