Tag: Chinese Cooking

Chinese Recipes

Chinese recipes for cooking are some of the most interesting and delicious types you can find.

From your standard stir fry to more exotic dishes with shrimp or duck, Chinese recipes are sure to be a big hit at your dinner table or any type of get together.

There are thousands of Chinese recipes out there you can find in cookbooks, on television, or on the Internet.

Chinese recipes are often handed down throughout the generations and some have origins that date back thousands of years. Granted, there wasnt near the technology we have today with electric woks, rice cookers, and deep fryers but the recipes remain unchanged.

Chinese recipes have a very rich history and cultural heritage but many were created by the lower class who worked very hard and needed to have a good meal. This is why so many Chinese recipes revolve around Chinas main food staple. Rice.

Rice is a very important part of Chinese recipes. Not just for its filling properties but because the climate in China is perfect for rice.

It grows fairly fast and has a high yield making it the perfect food to accompany a meat or seafood dish. By adding rice, a meal for two can easily become a meal for five. This is accomplished in the same way by using another staple of Chinese food which is noodles.

Chinese recipes vary from being easy to taking hours upon hours to prepare. If you are not used to Chinese cooking, you may need to buy some new cookware that is suitable for what you will be making.

A wok is very handy for stir fry and deep fried dishes and is a lot less messy than your standard frying pan. With a little trial and error, you can make many different Chinese recipes a fun new addition to your menu.

Chinese Recipe Cookware Substitutions

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.

Where to Find Chinese Recipes

Finding Chinese recipes is usually pretty easy. Chinese food is loved all around the world and many people are more than willing to pass on their favorite recipes.

These can be in cookbooks, on television shows, and on the Internet. If you are new to Chinese cooking, you might want to try out a few free recipes before spending any money on a new book though.

For a beginner who really wants to learn the basics of Chinese cooking and find some great and easy recipes, nothing can beat the Internet. There are tons of websites out there that have nothing but recipes for all kinds of cuisine.

Many are specially geared toward Chinese food. Some might make you register with the site but most give you recipes for free. You can print them out or save them for when you are ready to start cooking.

Television is a great way to learn about Chinese recipes and what it takes to make them. The food networks get a lot of ratings with Chinese cooking shows and competitions.

The food is interesting to watch being made and always looks delicious. It can be hard to write down a recipe while watching someone cook it so a digital recorder can help make sure you dont miss anything.

The old fashioned way is sometimes the best way. A nice Chinese recipe cookbook cant be beat most of the time. If you get a very large one, you can pick and choose from any Chinese dish you can imagine.

They often include common substitutions and cooking tips as well as helpful advice for the beginner.