Chinese Cooking Sauces:
Tofu Chinese salad Vegetarian Spring Rolls Chinese Szechuan Style Eggplant
Chinese Crispy Vegetables Ingredients:
4-5 Broccoli florets, cut into 1” pieces
4 pieces 1” pieces Cauliflower
Chinese-cabbage cut in 4-5 pieces
3-4 big onion chunks
Oil for frying
1tbsp white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Blanch all vegetables except onions, in salted boiled water. Drain and pat dry a little.
2. Dip the vegetables in seasoned corn-flour powder. On high heat deep fry the vegetables to light brown.
3. Drain and sprinkle some salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle Vinegar on the vegetables.
Serve with black pepper sauce and red chili sauce.
Chinese Cooking Sauces:
Ground chili paste: Is made from red chilies, garlic and vinegar. This chili paste will go a long way when you need to cook up something spicy in a pinch. Chili paste in a small plastic jars, can be kept almost indefinitely.
Hoisin Sauce is made from soy bean puree, sugar and caramel sauce. Hoisin sauce is used primarily in dipping sauces, marinades, and stir fries. When mixed with onions, garlic, chilies, vinegar and crushed peanuts, this sauce is incredibly delicious.
It is a thick red brown sauce made from soy beans, vinegar, and sugar. It tastes sweet, and slightly spicy.
Hoisin Sauce is available in the market.
Dim Sum: means ‘little hearts’ or ‘small delights from the heart’. They are small delectable snacks (dumplings) that can be steamed, boiled, pan fried, or baked.
Dim sums are savory and sweet.
Black Beans: These are small black soybeans, called salted black soybeans or fermented black beans, are made by fermenting soybeans with salt and spices. Having a very particular, slightly salty flavor and a rich aroma, they are a popular seasoning in Chinese Cooking, often used along with garlic or fresh ginger.
Yellow Bean Sauce: This is made from yellow beans, flour, and salt fermented together and is a common addition to Chinese cooking.
The beans may be whole in a thick sauce or sold mashed or pureed as crushed bean sauce. You may prefer to use the whole bean variety which is less salty and have more taste.
Spicy Soy, Salt and Pepper:
A dry mix makes a great dip for fried or toasted appetizers.
Ingredients;
125ml Light soy sauce
2tbsp Chinese black vinegar
2 thinly sliced red chilies
Method:
Combine Soy Sauce, vinegar and chili in a small bowl. Pour into individual dipping bowls.
This dipping sauce goes well with Dim sum.
Onion Black Pepper Chili sauce:
Ingredients:
½tbsp sunflower oil
1tbsp vinegar
¼tsp salt
For onion Paste:
1 green onion, finely chopped
1tbsp white onion, finely chopped
1tbsp peppercorns
Method:
1. Grind all the onion ingredients with peppercorns to a paste.
2. Heat oil add the onion pepper paste. Stir fry on high heat for 1mt.
3. Take from heat and mix vinegar and salt.
Sesame Paste: Is made from toasted and grinded sesame seeds. It is a thick, rich, creamy brown paste, unlike tahini which is made from raw seeds.
Chinese sesame paste is used in both hot and cold preparations.
A substitute is smooth peanut sauce.
Chinese Szechuan Style Eggplant Serve - 4
Ingredients:
2 lb Eggplants, (small dark purple), half lengthwise and sliced 2/3 “ thick pieces, then soak in water to prevent blackening
3 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp garlic minced
1 tsp green chili paste
2 shallots stalk minced with greens
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp red chili sauce
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp honey or 2 tsp brown sugar +2 tbsp water
2tbsp cornstarch
½C water
1 tsp salt ½ tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, halved
For Garnish:
1 spring onion cut in 3” pieces or 6 fresh cilantro sprigs
Method:
1. Remove and drain the eggplant.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add ginger, garlic, chili and shallots. Stir cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.
3. Add eggplant and stir fry for 4-5 minutes. Do not over cook, they will become mushy.
Add salt, red pepper, soy sauce and red chili sauce. Toss until well blended.
4. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5-7 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice, vinegar and 2 tbsp water. Mix to coat the eggplant pieces.
5. Meanwhile whisk corn flour and water. Mix well. Add the corn flour mixture 1 tbsp at a time, to slightly thicken the stir fry sauce, just enough to coat a spoon.
6. Add basil and remove from heat. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro or cut green onion sprig.
Serve hot with rice or noodles.