Chinese cuisine: video recipes

Regional styles of Chinese cuisine

There are four main regional styles in Chinese cuisine: Cantonese, Sichuan, Shanghai and Peking. Each of these styles has evolved over time as a result of factors such as geography, climate, history, lifestyle, and cooking preferences in the region. They are distinguished not only by the methods of cooking, but also by the specific combinations of ingredients. For example, Sichuan cuisine is known for its “hot”, pungent, bold taste and aroma, while Peking cuisine is known for its sophisticated, complex dishes intended for the emperor and his court. In order to learn how to cook even the most complex dishes of Chinese cuisine, it is enough to watch several master classes with photos or videos.

The most characteristic ingredient in Sichuan cuisine is the eponymous pepper, which is not a pepper at all. It is the fruit of special trees with a characteristic pungent taste and pleasant aroma.

Food Required for Chinese Meals

Of course, each dish requires its own ingredients, but there are some that you will need for most Chinese-style meals. Among them is mirin rice wine, it not only adds aroma, but can also eliminate strong odors, for example, the pungent smell of river fish, which many do not like. You will also need rice vinegar, which has a delicate flavor and odor that is less harsh than regular table vinegar. Oyster sauce is spicy and thick, it is used not only with fish, but also meat and all vegetable dishes. Soy sauce for Chinese dishes may be needed both dark and light. The Chinese often use starch as a thickener; the most popular spices are garlic, ginger, and green onions. In Chinese cuisine, sesame oil is not only fried, but also used as a flavoring agent.

Some housewives who start cooking Chinese food for the first time are intimidated by the long lists of ingredients, but usually up to nine of them are combined into a thick, aromatic sauce.

Two ways to cook Chinese chicken

In European home cooking, simple Chinese dishes made with chicken are the most popular. For example, chicken with oranges and sesame seeds. You will need: – 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts; – ½ cup flour; – 1 teaspoon of baking powder; – 1 chicken egg; – 5 tablespoons of cornstarch; – vegetable oil for frying; – ¼ cups of ketchup; – ¼ cups of liquid honey; – 2 teaspoons of sugar; – 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar; – 1 teaspoon of sesame oil; – 1 glass of water; – ½ orange; – sesame seeds.

Rinse the chicken breasts, dry and cut into 1 cm cubes. Beat the egg lightly and mix with flour, baking powder and salt. Dissolve three tablespoons of starch in half a glass of water and pour into the egg-flour mixture. Knead the “thin” dough. Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok until slightly smoky. Dip the chicken pieces in the batter and fry in batches until golden brown. Spread on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Remove the zest from the half of the orange and squeeze the juice. Combine all remaining ingredients with juice and zest. Pour into the wok where the chicken was fried and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl, top with the sauce and stir.

Another popular dish is cashew chicken. Take: – 500 grams of skinless and boneless chicken breasts; – 2 cups of flour; – 5 teaspoons of cornstarch; – 2 teaspoons of baking powder; – 3 chicken eggs; – vegetable oil for frying; – 2 cups of chicken broth; – 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce; – 1 tablespoon of sugar; – 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce; – 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper; – 1 large green bell pepper; – 1 large onion; – 2 cups shelled cashews; – 1/3 cup chopped green onions.

Sift wheat flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch into a bowl. Beat eggs in another bowl. Heat oil in a wok. Dip the 1cm diced breast pieces first into the flour mixture, then into the egg, and then back into the flour. Cook the chicken in batches and place on paper towels. Remove the stalk and seeds from the pepper, and also cut it into cubes. In a wok, heat up more oil until a light haze and fry the peppers and onion chopped in half rings. Arrange the vegetables for the chicken. In a bowl, combine chicken stock, oyster and soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and leftover cornstarch. Pour into a wok and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Pour the sauce into a bowl with the chicken and vegetables, stir, sprinkle with cashews and green onions and serve with boiled white long-grain rice.

Sweet and sour sauce

Sweet and sour sauce is one of the earliest associations that comes with the mention of Chinese food. Fish, meat, seafood, vegetables are served with this sauce. The sweetness in the sauce comes from the use of sugar, and the acidity comes from rice vinegar. The most famous recipe in this style is sweet and sour pork. For 500 grams of pork tenderloin, you will need: – 5 tablespoons of dark soy sauce; – ¼ glass of sugar; – 2 tablespoons of ketchup; – ¼ teaspoons of salt; – ½ glass of pineapple juice; – ¼ glasses of rice vinegar; 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon cornmeal – 1/3 cup and 4 tablespoons of water; – 1 egg white; – 1 carrot; – ½ red bell pepper; – ½ green bell pepper; – ½ cup of sliced ​​pineapple; – 3 cups vegetable oil.

Cut the pork into 1cm cubes. Mix 3 teaspoons of soy sauce with a pinch of starch and marinate the pork in this mixture for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, combine sugar, ketchup, dark soy sauce, salt, pineapple juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil in a small saucepan, add carrots, green peppers and pineapple. Mix 1 tablespoon of starch in 4 tablespoons of water and thicken the sauce.

Cut the peeled carrots diagonally into pieces, peel the seeds and chop the peppers. Heat oil in a wok until slightly hazy. Beat the egg white, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to it. Combine the flour and 1/3 cup cornstarch, add the remaining water to the dough, and mix with the protein. Dip the pork in batter and deep-fry in batches until golden brown, place on paper towels. Combine the pork with hot sauce and serve with rice or Chinese noodles.