If you're in the mood for Chinese food, don't go out — try cooking it yourself! Cooking Chinese food at home can be quick, easy, and fun. To get started, you need to know the basic ingredients, tools, and techniques to make your Chinese cooking the best it can be.
Basic Tools for Chinese Cooking
In Chinese cooking (or any other cuisine), you can usually use the kitchen tools you already have. But some Chinese recipes do call for specialized tools, such as a claypot casserole. Other items, like a rice cooker or wok just make cooking easier. If you don’t already have some of the utensils in this list, head to the cooking supply store — which is always a fun trip!
- A wok that you’ve seasoned
- A sharp chef’s knife
- A cutting board that you keep clean
- A small spice grinder
- A steamer
- A strainer
- Spatulas and ladles
- A claypot casserole
- An electric rice cooker
- Chopsticks
Basic Ingredients for Chinese Cooking
Stock your pantry with basic ingredients for Chinese cooking so that you can whip up an authentic Chinese meal on a moment’s notice. Just add whatever fresh meat, fish, and produce you feel like — and before you know it, you’ll have a balanced, quick, and easy-to-make dish on your table.
Sauces and Condiments
- Prepared black bean sauce
- Chile oil
- Chile paste or sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Oyster-flavored sauce
- Plum sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Rice wine (or dry sherry)
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
- Vegetable oil (peanut oil preferred)
Spices and Seasonings
- Chinese five-spice powder
- Chinese hot mustard
- Whole and crushed dried red chiles
- Sichuan peppercorns
- Star anise
- White pepper, ground
Canned and Dried Ingredients
- Bamboo shoots
- Broth (canned or homemade)
- Cornstarch
- Dried black mushrooms
- Long-grain rice
- Sesame seeds
- Straw mushrooms
- Water chestnuts
Noodles
- Cellophane or bean thread noodles
- Dried egg noodles (store in freezer if fresh)
- Dried rice noodles
Chinese Cooking Techniques
Chinese cooking involves all kinds of techniques from stir-frying to steaming to simmering. This table lists a variety of Chinese cooking techniques and what you use them for, and a few tips as well.
| Technique | Stir-frying |
| The Results | Crisp, brightly colored foods with lots of nutrition and flavor, but little fat |
| What You Need | A wok or large frying pan |
| How Long? | Lightning-quick — there’s not time. |
| Tips | Have all your ingredients and sauces prepared ahead of time; cook ingredients in stages. |
| Technique | Steaming |
| The Results | Healthful, almost fat-free foods whose fresh, natural flavors stand out |
| What You Need | An electric steamer; a wok or pan with a steamer rack |
| How Long? | Not too long — as long as it takes to fully cook the food |
| Tips | Be careful when removing the steamer lid so you don’t get a painful steam burn. |
| Technique | Blanching |
| The Results | Softened — not fully cooked — foods that are now ready for complete cooking via another method |
| What You Need | A wok or pot big enough to hold plenty of boiling water |
| How Long? | Brief — just a few minutes or long enough to soften |
| Tips | Make sure to stop the cooking after removing the food the food by rinsing it with or plunging it into cold water. |
| Technique | Simmering |
| The Results | Gently cooked, tender, juicy, and flavorful food |
| What You Need | A wok or pot that can hold enough water to cover the food |
| How Long? | A while — from a few minutes to more than an hour |
| Tips | Gentle is the key word: After you bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and gently cook the food until it’s done. |
| Technique | Braising |
| The Results | Flavorful, tender, morsels from the toughest cuts of meats |
| What You Need | A wok or pot that can hold enough water to cover the food |
| How Long? | A long time; normally a couple hours will do the trick |
| Tips | Browning the meat first adds flavor and color; just be patient and don’t put too much meat in the pan at once. |
| Technique | Deep-frying |
| The Results | Food that’s crisp and golden on the outside, tender and fully cooked on the inside |
| What You Need | Not too long, because the quicker the food fries, the better the texture becomes |
| How Long? | A long time; normally a couple hours will do the trick |
| Tips | Don’t let the oil temperature drop! Be careful working near the hot oil, too. |
| Technique | Roasting |
| The Results | Foods with a crisp, caramelized exterior and juicy, tender flesh (but they get that texture from dry, circulating heat rather than from hot oil, as in deep-frying) |
| What You Need | An oven |
| How Long? | Depends on the food’s thickness, but generally a longer, less fuel-efficient method |
| Tips | Make sure that air circulates around the food, and baste it with the marinade or pan juices to add flavor and keep it moist. |
| Technique | Smoking |
| The Results | Foods with a distinctively smoky, aromatic flavor |
| What You Need | A wok, which easily turns into a smoker |
| How Long? | A longer, slower cooking method |
| Tips | Choose from many flavoring agents, such as tea and rice, to flavor your smoke. |
