The way people in China greets guests is to ask, ‘ni chile ma’ which means ‘Have you eaten yet’? This reassures us that Chinese food is one of the most delicious cuisines in the world. Cooking authentic Chinese food is not simple. It uses two ingredients at the most-noodles and lots of vegetables, but it is no easy combination of food to whip up.
If you are into Chinese food, this article is for you. If you are anywhere in the world except for China, finding authentic Chinese food is hard. It is either too spicy or too bland or extremely expensive. But you have a better option. And that is to cook it at the comfort of your home using the decadent and authentic recipes of Misschinesefood.
With the secrets of cooking Chinese food, I am going to share with you. And recipes from misschinesefood, you will be able to enjoy fried rice, Manchurian, or Dan-dan noodles at your home.
Let’s look at these secrets now!
1. Make use of five-star powder
When you are cooking a dish that uses meat in it, it is best to use the five-star powder in it. It enhances the flavour of your dish. It provides a bit of heat to your dish while adding tons of exotic flavour to it.
Try this five-star powder in the Chinese hamburger, so try it the next time you are making one.
Here are the ingredients of five-star powder, which is more than five, irrespective of the name.
- Star anise
- Cloves
- Fennel seeds
- Cardamon
- Ginger
- Sichuan peppercorns
2. Follow these three principles
When cooking Chinese, try these three principles:
- Always use fresh ingredients. The food that you cook with fresh produce tastes best.
- It is best to prepare before you start cooking a dish. Whether it is noodles or a meat dish, marinate the dish, prepare the sauce, cut the vegetables before you start cooking. Wash every produce beforehand so that it can dry before you put it in your stir fry or the baking tray.
- Harmony and balance in food is a must. Thus vary your food and meat so that the dish you come up with is delicious.
3. Make use of sesame oil
To get that rich, nutty, and toasty flavour in your Chinese dish, do drizzle a bit of sesame oil on it. It enhances the flavour a lot, but other than this, it provides tons of beauty and health features.
You can add sesame oil in other dishes as well because it is beneficial for your dry skin. Lastly, it ensures you get healthy, sleeker, and stronger hair.
4. Cook tough vegetable first if making stir-fry
Stir fry is one of the most popular, delicious, and healthy dishes of China. If you are attempting it, keep these tips in mind:
Never stir all vegetables the same. Cook thickest and toughest vegetables, like broccoli first. Leafy vegetables can go after and the softest one, like Brussel sprouts, can go in last.
5. Home-made red chilli oil enhances the flavour
Saliva Chicken is one popular Chinese dish that uses red chilli oil. You can put this oil on literally any dish, and it will taste amazing. You do not have to buy it in a supermarket. You can make it at home by adding some dried red chilli to peanut oil or any other oil of your choice.
6. Use red chilli oil in your dip to give it an extra kick
Everyone loves a dip with some fries or dim-sum. Why not add a little red-chilli to your dip to add a bit of kick? A spicy food lover will love this food-combo.
7. Tofu is love
Tofu is a staple in a Chinese dish, so if you are making any tofu dish, keep this in mind:
- Do not use soft tofu for deep or stir fry. It will not hold its shape, use hard tofu.
- Drain excess water well so that tofu can absorb flavours.
8. No Chinese dish is complete without rice
If you are serving a Chinese dish, make sure you have a rice dish. Whether it is fried rice or plain rice with curry, having rice dishes is imperative.
To learn about a culture, eating and cooking authentic food is a must. Use these secret tips and your Chinese dish will certainly come out fabulous.