Almost everyone ordered Chinese take-out food or had dinner at a lovely restaurant at some point in their lives. It is a tradition and a favorite culinary treat for people of all ages and backgrounds, making Chinese food one of the most popular choices for quick and diverse meals. If you are enjoying the food, but want to save money by preparing it yourself, see the following tips for preparing Chinese food at home.
The first thing to consider before preparing it yourself is to consult reliable and revised recipes. You don’t want to try a recipe that is not known to be successful or delicious. Preparation, cooking utensils, ingredients and time are all key factors that must be planned before diving into a new recipe, especially if you are trying to imitate one that you liked in a restaurant in the past.
Remember that your creations in the kitchen may taste slightly different from the creations you have outside the home. Although many sauces and seasonings are available in stores today, some chefs use truly secret ingredients to give their dishes that special flavor that makes them come back for more. The best you can do is to research recipes that are successful and are liked by others, as well as following the next tips for preparing Chinese food at home.
The ingredients
There are some common ingredients that are well known to people who enjoy Chinese food at their favorite local restaurants or takeaways. Even the best food in China is made with the same usual ingredients that you find here in your grocery store or in the international market. Agricultural markets can also feature some of the popular products that are essential for these special dishes.
Before reading about specific ingredients, take a look at this useful list. You can use this when buying the items you need in each category. This list is also convenient if you’re looking in your cupboards or pantry to see what’s left and what you need to buy more when you’re in the store. If desired, it can also be used as a checklist to mark what you have purchased at the store or what items you should look for coupons in the newspapers. It’s the best way to save money when shopping – one of the best tips for making Chinese food at home!
Vegetables: broccoli, carrots, cabbage, peas
Meat: duck, pork, chicken, shrimp, beef
Grains: rice, noodles, lo mein
Sauces: teriyaki, sweet and sour, sautéed
Others: eggs, wonton, vegetable broth
Many of the most popular dishes are made with those common ingredients, which you have certainly seen in a store or bought before! Why ask to go when you can taste them at home, especially at a lower cost?
You can easily find the products you need at the store, or you can also buy them at a farmers market that offers low-cost fruits and vegetables. Peas, broccoli, carrots and cabbage are popular choices for soups, rolls and stir-fries that you have learned to love. This is what makes traditional recipes so healthy and delicate for the stomach. Vegetables balance the heaviest ingredients that can bother people.
The basic ingredients of many recipes include meats such as chicken, beef, shrimp, duck or pork. They are often the characteristic of main dishes because they provide a flavor and substance that are not found in vegetable-based recipes. Some of the most popular dishes, such as General Tso, Kung Pao, sautéed and foo yung, would not be the same without their meat ingredients. You can find these items for sale in the store if you look for the right offers and coupons, another known tip for making Chinese food at home!
Grains like rice and noodles are the next staple in these fabulous recipes, due to their traditional use in Chinese culture. Rice has been grown in China for thousands of years, being one of the first products of agriculture and civilized society. Rice is rich in nutrients and calories, not to mention that it is an extremely easy food to prepare together with your favorite dishes at home. Sometimes, it is also the main focus of a recipe, instead of meat. If you want to cook a rice dish, make sure to time it properly due to the difference in cooking time. You also don’t want to overcook the rice, as this can ruin a dish!
For many Chinese dishes, what matters is the sauce. Most recipes have rich flavors that come from bittersweet mixes, teriyaki marinade and soy sauce. Other sauces include duck sauce, garlic sauce and brown sauce. Did you know that there were so many sauces? The flavors you taste in takeaway food and restaurant dishes are often heavily seasoned with a variety of ingredients. Some places even do this from scratch, which you can do. Your recipe can be more successful if you find a sauce recipe from scratch, instead of buying a bottle that has already been mixed in the store. The shelf life will be shorter, but its homemade mixture may just be the ticket to a Chinese food with an authentic flavor.
Other tips
As you can see, the ingredients themselves are an important component in creating a delicious dish that mimics those you enjoy when ordering or dining at a restaurant. A lot of the flavor depends on the right recipe and the right foods, otherwise, no matter how hard you try on the food, it still won’t meet your expectations. If you want to know how to make Chinese food at home, just follow the tips above and you will soon be eating authentic Kung Pao!