Authentic Chinese Cuisine

Chinese Cooking Ingredients And Sauces:
Before actual cooking, check if you have all the necessary sauces and seasonings.There are several items that are important in Chinese Cooking, eg. Soya sauce, Vinegar, Cornflour, etc.These essentials will help you create authentic flavours.Start with a few basic items.
1.Soya Sauce: There are 2 kinds.One is dark and the other is light.Both are used for seasoning foods.It cannot be made at home.It is easily available in bottles in stores.
2.Chilli Sauce(Red or Green): This is a hot, spicy and tangy sauce made from red or green chillies, vinegar and seasonings.It is available ready made.
3.Vinegar: It maybe synthetic (acetic acid) or prepared from natural ingredients like rice, wine, sugar, fruits etc.The natural ones are better as the synthetically prepared chemical ones are too tart.
4.Black Bean Sauce: This sauce is made from fermented black beans.It has a pungent and salty flavour.It cannot be made at home.It is available ready made in bottles at stores.
5.Hoisin Sauce: Also called Peking or Barbecue Sauce.This ia a thick brownish-red sauce.It is made from soybeans, spices, garlic and chilli peppers.It is used both in cooking and as a condiment.It is available ready made in bottles, at most shops.
6.Oyster Sauce: Made from fresh oysters.Its special aroma and subtle sweetness enhance the flavours of most dishes.It is used not only in cooking but also as a condiment.Sprinkle a few drops over a stir-fried iceberg lettuce and you will love it.Available in bottles and cans, it is best to refrigerate after opening.
7.Worcestershire Sauce: It is a thin dark, piquant sauce used to season dishes.It is made from tamarind, dry fruits, garlic, ginger and spices.
8.Sesame Oil: It is used as a flavouring, but not usually for cooking.It has a strong distinctive nutty taste and fragrant aroma.Only a small quantity is required.In cooked dishes a few drops of oil is usually asses just prior to serving.It adds flavour to dips, salads and stir fry dishes.
9.Star Anise: The dried, hard, brown, star shaped fruit has a fennel flavour.It is an important ingredient used in five spice powder.It can be substituted with fennel seeds.
10.Five Spice Powder: An aromatic blend of 5 Oriental spices: 2 tbsp peppercorns, 3 star anise, 6 cloves, 4 inch stick cinnamon, and 3 tsp fennel.It is slightly sweet and pungent.Grind together to a powder, sieve and use.
11.Ajinomoto(Monosodium Glutamate): A white crystalline substance commonly known as MSG.It is used in Chinese cookery for enhancing the flavour of dishes.
12.Cornflour: It is a white powder, which is used to thicken sauces.Dissolve some cornflour in a little water to make a paste and add it to boiling liquid.Remember to stir the sauce continuously, when the paste is being added.Also stir the cornflour paste again before adding it to the dish.
13.Dry Red Chilli: Dry red chillies are easily available in markets.They are really hot.You can deseed them to decrease their heat.
14.Chinese Wine: There are many kinds of wine made from rice.Chinese wine can be substituted by ordinary dry sherry.Small amount of this wine adds a mild flavour.
15.Bean Curd/Tofu: It is prepared from soya bean milk.It resembles Cottage Cheese in taste and looks.Thus you can substitute cottage cheese with tofu.
16.Snow Peas/Mangetout: They belong to the pea family and are used in cooking just as French beans are used.Whole pod is edible.Snap off the stem end of pea pod and pull the string.
17.Spring Onions: These are also called scallions or green onions.In the absence of these you can substitute them with regular onions.The green and white part, both are used.Add green part just at the end of cooking.
18.Sesame Seeds: These tiny, tear-drop shaped, flat seeds are quite tasteless in their raw state but impart a wonderful nutty flavour after roasting.These are cream and black in colour.The taste and visual appeal of food is enhanced, when coated with these seeds.
19.Agar-Agar: This is a dried seaweed.The white fibrous strands require soaking and are used like gelatine.It is used for puddings and as a setting agent.
20.Seasoning Cube And Veg Stock: Veg stock is an important agent for most soups and sauces.However, if you do not have stock ready or feel lazy to make a stock, you can use seasoning cubes mixed in water instead.Seasoning cubes are available as small packets.These are very salty, so taste the dish after adding the cube before you put in more salt.Always crush the seasoning cube to a powder before using it.
21.Bean Sprouts: These are shoots of soya beans.The texture is crisp.To make bean sprouts at home, soak 1/2 cup of green beans for about 8 hours.Discard water and tie in a cloth.Keep them tied for 2-3 days, remembering to wet the cloth each day.When the shoots are long enough, wash carefully in water.Fresh bean sprouts will keep for 3-4 days if refrigerated in a plastic bag.
22.Bamboo Shoots: Fresh tender shoots of Bamboo plant are available rarely, but tinned bamboo shoots are easily available in good shops.
23.Shallots: These are smaller onions, milder in flavour and belong to the onion family.
24.Chinese Cabbage: It looks like a tightly packed cos lettuce.It has firm, pale green, crinkled leaves.If unavailable ordinary cabbage can be used.
25.Mushrooms: There are many varieties which are used in Chinese cooking.Fresh Mushrooms are very tight, very firm and very white.You cannot see the gills underneath the cap.As the mushroom loses its moisture, the cap shrinks, exposing the gills.The most commonly available ones are called button mushrooms.Purchase fresh mushrooms no more than 1-2 days before using them, since they are highly perishable.Store in a loose plastic bag.
26.Bok Choy(Chinese Chard): A variety of Chinese Cabbage.Also called spoon cabbage.It has dark green leaves with a white stalk and is used for stir frying.Both stalk and the leaves can be used.It is cooked only for a minute, so that it retains its colour and texture.
27.Oyster Mushrooms: These soft mushrooms are shaped like a fan.Delicious in flavour.Use them as soon as possible.Store in refrigerator.
28.Dried Mushrooms: Maybe white or black in colour.To prepare dried mushrooms for cooking, soak them in hot water for at least 1/2 hour to soften.They swell in size after soaking.Discard any hard stems.Cut into required size and use.They harbour a lot of dust and grit, so it is necessary to wash them well after soaking.They are added to dishes only for the last few minutes of cooking, to retain the crunchy texture.Used in soups and stir-fries.

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