What ingredients do i need for chinese food?

Question

I would like to make chinese from scratch, any ideas for the ingredients needed? Oils, spices, sauces, etc?

Answer 1

Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Rice Wine. Bean Sprouts, Ginger, Chinese 5 Spice, Garlic, Star Anise, Bamboo shoots, Water Chestnuts..

These are the key things I use in nearly all dishes... but what are you trying to make?

Try these two chefs they're both excellent and Ken Hom practically invented Chinese cookery in the UK
Nancy Lam: http://www.uktvfood.co.uk/index.cfm?uktv=chefs.chef&iID=530462
Ken Hom: http://www.uktvfood.co.uk/index.cfm?uktv=chefs.chef&iID=530461

Answer 2

Basically normal Chinese home cooking have minimal ingredients usage perhaps little more when cooking for parties or gatherings for lavish food servings.

Dishes normally required some stir fried cooking, a little oil heated up in a wok (chinese cooking utensil like hollow pan). Then some minced garlic for aroma stir fried till golden brown. Put in the ingredients in the wok, stir them occasionally , then add in salt, sugar to taste, some soy sauce for colouring, some oyster sauce for gravy , water , pepper. Sometimes steam , soup , stew , boil etc have different ingredients and guidelines to follow.

The above stir fried application can be used for any variety of meat or vegetables. Of course certain things needed extra preparations and marinating before the above stir fried concept can be applied.

I would recommend you to get a simple Chinese cookbook for some preliminary readings before you embark on doing it from scratch. Chinese food is so diverse as there are alot of different ways of making it. Because different parts of China have different culinary requirement and special ways to cook the same dishes by using local spices and unique preparation methods.

Answer 3

It really depends on what kind of food you want to make.

Here's how I do a stir fry.
A large frying pan is fine, you don't need a wok. Heat up oil (sesame or olive if you dont' have any sesame) until it's very hot. Fry some thinly sliced chicken, pork or beef until cooked then add some beansprouts, thinly sliced mushrooms, carrots, red peppers and sweetcorn for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile cook 2 squares of medium thick noodles in salted water. When cooked, add them to the stir fry with a large dash of dark soy sauce.

You can also add a sliced up omlette.

Answer 4

Why not start simple by making Fried Rice. I make fried rice all the time with leftover or from scratch. It is a one dish meal and easy to cook with one pan to wash. Friend rice is a very "elastic" meal you can stretch it for a lot of people or do it for yourself. You will need:

Cook some white rice by steaming it in a pan or use some rice from a rice cooker if you have one. The rule is 1.5 cups long grain rice to 2 3/4 cups water, salt. Put in a pan bring to a boil, immediately cover with a tight lid and turn stove on lowest setting - time for 25 minutes. You are not necessarily going to use all this rice but I make a lot at one time so I can heat it up for other meals.

Take the steamed rice out and separate the grains on a baking sheet and let them get a little air on then before you make tht dish.

3 tablespoons oil (can be veg oil or peanut oil but not olive oil)
If you have a wok fine; if not a large skillet is fine.

Once chopped onion saute with

1 cup chopped ham, chicken, beef, pre-cooked shrimp, or hard tofu cubes - stir meat or tofu with onions to saute and cook just done then add the vegetables.

Chopped vegetables: celery, green or red bell peppers, bean sprouts, bok choi, peas, carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, snow peas, whatever veg you like. Saute - keep shifting the food all around the pan so it will not stick - until the veggies wilt down and reach your desired texture

Stir is all around on high heat and add 2 or more tablespoons of good grade soy sauce to taste - I use Kikkoman's.

Last minute add 2 cups rice (depending on how many people you are feeding decrease or increase the rice).

You can buy some great frozen egg rolls now at the grocery so I usually serve them with fried rice and your guests or family with think you have gone to a lot of trouble to make something special.

Answer 5

the main ingredients of chinese flavors are, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and some mild peppers. you can always throw other things in. for that special consistency mix a table spoon or 2 of corn starch into a cup of COLD water and dump that in for the final few minutes of whatever dish you are cooking.

also...for really good fried rice...cook your rice and let it sit in the fridge overnight...it turns out way better the next day when you're frying it in the pan.

Answer 6

how about buy chicken and dice it make sure its boneless bread with flour and fry in pan fry till crispy and pour some of the sweet and sour sauce on it or put to the side of the meal
buy long grain rice
u will need vegetable oil
use onion
and scrambled eggs
and dice some pork and make
pork fried rice in a wok buy frying rice with oil and add scrambled eggs and pork and onion till cooked and heated together
buy a box of fortune cookies can be found in grocery stores or walmart
and they sell egg rolls in the frozen foods isle if u want to purchase some

Answer 7

There are quite a few can you specify the meal.
Here are some anyway Garlic, Ginger, Chilies, Soy, 5 spice, Toasted sesame oil.

Answer 8

Buy a cook book or look on Google. If you're question had been which Chinese food impresses you, the replies might have been illuminating.

Answer 9

chinese five spice, olive oil, sesame oil(optional)garlic lemon grass, oxo cubes anything really.

Rice or egg noodles, stir fry veggies and a meat of your choice.

Answer 10

Lots of rice