It would seem that all the major holidays are over. But no! The Chinese New Year is not yet coming. Traditionally, in China, the year does not begin on January 1, but on the Chinese New Year, and therefore the New Year of the Ox in 2021 did not come on January 1, but on February 12, 2021.
Why not celebrate another holiday! A great excuse to study your horoscopes for the coming year, get together for fun and, of course, cook something from Chinese cuisine.
Jiaozi
The most important New Year’s dish is the Chinese dumplings “jiaozi”, which translates as “coins”, so dumplings are a symbol of wealth.
Ingredients: pork – 400-500 g, shrimp (peeled) – 350 g, green onions – to taste, ginger (chopped) – 1 tsp, rice vinegar – 0,5 tbsp. l., salt, pepper – to taste
Method of preparation:
- Grind meat, shrimps and onions. Mix the prepared minced meat well, add salt and pepper. Then add chopped ginger, rice bite, mix.
- Roll out the dough, cut the squares with a knife, then put the filling in the middle with a teaspoon and wrap it in a bag, pressing the edges of the dough.
- Pour a little vegetable oil into a preheated pan and fry our dumplings for just a couple of minutes, then add a couple of drops of water and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes. After that we decorate them with herbs and serve.
rice
Not a single Chinese family can do without rice, it is present both on the daily menu and on the festive table. Rice is the main food in the life of the Chinese, therefore, the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom are extremely anxious about it. On New Year’s Eve, fried rice dishes are mainly served with the addition of a variety of ingredients.
We advise you to cook an elegant “Sunny” rice with cashews – it seems to be specially created for festive feasts. Or – gyuvech with rice and tomatoes – baked with chicken, it will become the main dish on your table. No exotic, this is a traditional Bulgarian cuisine, but you will observe the rules of the Chinese New Year.
Fish
Fish is considered a symbol of abundance and prosperity, as the Chinese word for fish sounds like the words for abundance and abundance. To celebrate the Chinese New Year in style, you can prepare an ultra-trendy poke bowl – especially if the company is small.
And you can cook fish according to the recipe of Oleg Vinnik, or, if you have meat for the main course, then serve snacks with red fish. A good option to surprise yourself and your household is to bake fish in salt, this dish is worthy of the coolest restaurants, by the way. Or you can try a new recipe and make fishbread, which the French are very fond of.
Stir-fry with shrimps and garlic
Ingredients: 220 g butterfly cut peeled shrimp, 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing rice wine, a little white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut butter, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, a bunch of garlic feathers, cut into 3 cm sticks (if not, you can do without them), sesame oil, salt – to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Marinate shrimp in wine, pepper, sugar and soy sauce.
- Heat the oil in a wok over high heat.
- Add the garlic feathers and mix well.
- Add shrimp and fry until translucent.
- Add a couple of drops of sesame oil, fish sauce and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Serve immediately after cooking with boiled rice.
Noodles
And on the Asian New Year’s table you can find noodles, it symbolizes longevity. Gourmets will love the pumpkin and mushroom noodles, as well as the classic Japanese Ramen noodle soup.
May prosperity, positive atmosphere and happiness improve in your home from the first day of Chinese New Year!