Here are some popular Chinese foods:
Kung Pao Chicken: A spicy stir-fry dish made with diced chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers.
Ingredients:
- Chicken breast
- Peanuts
- Vegetables of your choice (such as bell peppers, zucchini, onions, etc.)
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Chili peppers
Procedure:
- Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, and sugar for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
- Add chicken and stir-fry until browned on all sides.
- Add garlic, ginger, vegetables, and peanuts and stir-fry until tender.
- Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and chili peppers and stir-fry for another minute.
- Serve over rice.
Dumplings: Small pockets of dough filled with various types of fillings and either steamed or fried.
Ingredients:
- Dumpling wrappers (can be found at Asian grocery stores)
- Ground pork or chicken
- Vegetables of your choice (such as cabbage, mushrooms, onions, etc.)
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Ginger
- Garlic
Procedure:
- Combine ground meat, vegetables, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a bowl and mix well.
- Place a spoonful of the mixture onto a dumpling wrapper and fold the wrapper to seal the filling inside.
- Steam the dumplings for 10-15 minutes or pan-fry them until golden brown.
- Fried Rice: Cooked rice stir-fried with vegetables, protein, and eggs.
Ingredients:
- Cooked rice (preferably leftover and chilled)
- Protein of your choice (such as shrimp, chicken, or pork)
- Vegetables of your choice (such as peas, carrots, onions, bell peppers, etc.)
- Eggs
- Soy sauce
- Cooking oil
Procedure:
- Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat and add cooking oil.
- Add protein and cook until browned on all sides.
- Add vegetables and cook until tender-crisp.
- Push the protein and vegetables to one side of the skillet or wok and add beaten eggs to the other side.
- Scramble the eggs until cooked through and then mix with the protein and vegetables.
- Add cooked rice and soy sauce to the skillet or wok and stir to combine until heated through.
- Hot and Sour Soup: A spicy and tangy soup made with tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and various seasonings.
Ingredients:
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Tofu
- Mushrooms
- Bamboo shoots
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Chili oil or chili flakes
- White pepper
Procedure:
- Heat broth in a pot over medium heat.
- Add tofu, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots and simmer for a few minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, chili oil or chili flakes, and white pepper.
- Add the mixture to the pot and stir until the soup thickens.
- Serve hot.
- Mapo Tofu: A spicy and flavorful dish made with tofu, ground pork, chili bean paste, and Sichuan peppercorns.
Ingredients:
- Tofu
- Ground pork
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Scallions
- Soy sauce
- Chili bean paste
- Sichuan peppercorns
- Cooking oil
Procedure:
- Cut tofu into small cubes and set aside.
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
- Add minced garlic, ginger, and sliced scallions to the wok or skillet and stir-fry until fragrant.
- Add ground pork and stir-fry until browned.
- Add chili bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for a minute or two.
- Add tofu and gently stir to combine with the pork and sauce.
- Add a small amount of water or broth to the wok or skillet and let it simmer until the tofu is heated through and the sauce thickens.
- Serve over rice.
Spring Rolls: Thin and crispy rolls filled with vegetables, protein, and sometimes noodles.
Ingredients:
- Spring roll wrappers (can be found at Asian grocery stores)
- Vegetables of your choice (such as carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, etc.)
- Protein of your choice (such as shrimp, pork, or chicken)
- Vermicelli noodles (optional)
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sugar
- Cooking oil
Procedure:
- Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for a few minutes until softened, then drain and set aside.
- Heat cooking oil in a pan over medium heat and stir-fry the vegetables and protein until tender.
- Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar and stir-fry for another minute.
- Add the cooked vermicelli noodles to the pan and stir to combine.
- Wrap the mixture in the spring roll wrappers according to the package instructions.
- Deep-fry the spring rolls in hot oil until golden brown.
- Chow Mein: A stir-fried dish made with noodles, vegetables, and protein.
Ingredients:
- Chow mein noodles (can be found at Asian grocery stores)
- Vegetables of your choice (such as cabbage, carrots, onions, etc.)
- Protein of your choice (such as chicken, beef, or shrimp)
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Sugar
- Cooking oil
Procedure:
- Cook chow mein noodles according to package instructions and set aside.
- Heat cooking oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
- Add protein and stir-fry until browned on all sides.
- Add vegetables and stir-fry until tender-crisp.
- Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar and stir-fry for another minute.
- Add the cooked chow mein noodles and stir-fry until heated through and well combined.
- Ma Po Tofu: Another spicy and flavorful dish made with tofu, ground pork, chili bean paste, and Sichuan peppercorns.
Ingredients:
- Tofu
- Ground pork
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Scallions
- Soy sauce
- Chili bean paste
- Sichuan peppercorns
- Cooking oil
Procedure:
- Cut tofu into small cubes and set aside.
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
- Add minced garlic, ginger, and sliced scallions and stir-fry until fragrant.
- Add ground pork and stir-fry until browned.
- Add chili bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for a minute or two.
- Add tofu and gently stir to combine with the pork and sauce.
- Add a small amount of water or broth to the wok or skillet and let it simmer until the tofu is heated through and the sauce thickens.
- Serve over rice.
Ingredients:
- Pork shoulder or loin
- Vegetables of your choice (such as bell peppers, onions, pineapple, etc.)
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sugar
- Ketchup
- Cornstarch
- Cooking oil
Procedure:
- Cut pork into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and cornstarch to make the sweet and sour sauce.
- Heat cooking oil in a wok or deep-fryer over medium-high heat.
- Coat pork in cornstarch and fry until crispy and golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
- In the same wok or skillet, stir-fry vegetables until tender-crisp.
- Add the sweet and sour sauce to the wok or skillet and stir until it thickens.
- Add the fried pork to the wok or skillet and stir to coat with the sauce.
- Serve over rice.
- Kung Pao Chicken: A spicy and flavorful dish made with chicken, vegetables, peanuts, and Sichuan peppercorns.
Ingredients:
- Chicken breast or thigh
- Vegetables of your choice (such as bell peppers, onions, etc.)
- Peanuts
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sugar
- Chili flakes or chili oil
- Sichuan peppercorns
- Cooking oil
Procedure:
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and chili flakes or chili oil to make the sauce.
- Heat cooking oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
- Add minced garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry until fragrant.
- Add chicken and stir-fry until browned on all sides.
- Add vegetables and stir-fry until tender-crisp.
- Add the sauce to the wok or skillet and stir until it thickens.
- Add peanuts and stir to combine.
- Serve over rice.