Post by naturelovr on May 22, 2011 4:46:21 GMT -6
Chinese Cooking - Ingredient Substitutions
It can be so frustrating. You're all set to impress friends and family with your wok cooking skills. Everything is going along smoothly, until you check the cupboard and discover that the five-spice powder you were positive was tucked behind the sage has disappeared.
What can you do? First, don't despair. Of all the international cuisines, Chinese cuisine is probably the most open to creative solutions born of need and circumstance. Many of the ingredients that we now see as integral to Chinese cuisine - such as fiery red chile peppers - weren't native to China, but introduced by other cultures. Why not try substituting another ingredient? The recipe's creator will never know, and you can still enjoy a tasty dish. The taste will not be quite as authentic, but that's okay.
Here are some food substitution suggestions for ingredients commonly used in Chinese cooking.
Ingredient Substitute
Agar-agar Gelatin
Bamboo Shoots White cabbage
Bok choy celery or Swiss chard
Chili Sauce 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp. vinegar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, dash of ground cloves and allspice**
Chinese five-spice powder Equal amounts cinnamon, star anise, cloves, fennel, and Szechuan Peppercorn. If Szechuan peppercorns aren't available, use freshly ground black peppercorns
Cilantro or Coriander (Chinese parsley) Parsley (for decoration only, not taste) Can add dash lemon juice
Coconut Milk Whole milk in equal amounts, if possible with coconut extract. For coconut cream, substitute half and half or whipping cream (with coconut extract if possible).
Galangal (used in Thai Cooking) Fresh ginger
Fresh Ginger Candied ginger
Garlic Cloves 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Hoisin Sauce Equal amounts ketchup and molasses (Also, sweet bean sauce)
Hot Red Chili Crushed red pepper
Lemon Grass (Used in Thai Cooking) Zest of a lemon
Lotus Root flour Cornstarch (Cornflour)
Mushrooms ( Straw, Clouds Ear) Fresh mushrooms (the taste will be different)
Oyster Sauce Soy sauce
Rice Wine Vinegar (also called Rice Vinegar) Dry sherry, white wine vinegar, malt vinegar
Sesame Oil 1 Tbs. Sesame seeds fried in 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Soy Sauce Japanese tamari or Worchester sauce.
Water Chestnut Jicama (commonly found in the Southern United States)
**From the Kansas State University site
Below are recipes for some popular Chinese sauces - making your own is one way to ensure you'll never be caught short-
handed!
Chinese Brown Sauce
You'll often find this easy to make brown sauce accompanying popular Chinese dishes such as Beef with Broccoli.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preparation:
Combine the above ingredients in order and bring to a boil, stirring. Yields about 1/3 cup.
Chile Sauce
This sauce is designed to be served with Hainanese Chicken rice, but it can also be used as a dip with appetizers. Thai fresh red chiles are a good choice for this recipe, but you can use a milder (or hotter) chile if desired.
Ingredients:
About 2 ounces fresh red chiles, seeded
1 ounce shallots, peeled
1 ounce garlic, peeled
1 ounce fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 cup boiling chicken stock
3 to 4 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon rice vinegar or malt vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Combine chiles, shallots, garlic, and ginger in a food processor or blender and process to a paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in boiling chicken stock, then remaining ingredients.
Let stand at least 1 hour before serving. (Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks). Serve with Hainanese chicken.
Hoisin Dipping Sauce
As with most dipping sauces, this tastes best if the flavors are allowed to blend for 1 hour before serving.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil for stir-frying
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
a few drops sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chile paste, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high to high heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the other ingredients. Heat through and remove from the stove. Cool. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Yields about 1/3 cup
Sweet and Sour Sauce
A quick and easy recipe that can be poured over a dish or used as a dipping sauce.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water
Preparation:
Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.
(If desired, you can add 1 green pepper, cut into chunks, and pineapple chunks as desired after adding the cornstarch. For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons while keeping the water constant.)
Yields about 1/2 cup
chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa042399.htm
It can be so frustrating. You're all set to impress friends and family with your wok cooking skills. Everything is going along smoothly, until you check the cupboard and discover that the five-spice powder you were positive was tucked behind the sage has disappeared.
What can you do? First, don't despair. Of all the international cuisines, Chinese cuisine is probably the most open to creative solutions born of need and circumstance. Many of the ingredients that we now see as integral to Chinese cuisine - such as fiery red chile peppers - weren't native to China, but introduced by other cultures. Why not try substituting another ingredient? The recipe's creator will never know, and you can still enjoy a tasty dish. The taste will not be quite as authentic, but that's okay.
Here are some food substitution suggestions for ingredients commonly used in Chinese cooking.
Ingredient Substitute
Agar-agar Gelatin
Bamboo Shoots White cabbage
Bok choy celery or Swiss chard
Chili Sauce 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp. vinegar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, dash of ground cloves and allspice**
Chinese five-spice powder Equal amounts cinnamon, star anise, cloves, fennel, and Szechuan Peppercorn. If Szechuan peppercorns aren't available, use freshly ground black peppercorns
Cilantro or Coriander (Chinese parsley) Parsley (for decoration only, not taste) Can add dash lemon juice
Coconut Milk Whole milk in equal amounts, if possible with coconut extract. For coconut cream, substitute half and half or whipping cream (with coconut extract if possible).
Galangal (used in Thai Cooking) Fresh ginger
Fresh Ginger Candied ginger
Garlic Cloves 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Hoisin Sauce Equal amounts ketchup and molasses (Also, sweet bean sauce)
Hot Red Chili Crushed red pepper
Lemon Grass (Used in Thai Cooking) Zest of a lemon
Lotus Root flour Cornstarch (Cornflour)
Mushrooms ( Straw, Clouds Ear) Fresh mushrooms (the taste will be different)
Oyster Sauce Soy sauce
Rice Wine Vinegar (also called Rice Vinegar) Dry sherry, white wine vinegar, malt vinegar
Sesame Oil 1 Tbs. Sesame seeds fried in 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Soy Sauce Japanese tamari or Worchester sauce.
Water Chestnut Jicama (commonly found in the Southern United States)
**From the Kansas State University site
Below are recipes for some popular Chinese sauces - making your own is one way to ensure you'll never be caught short-
handed!
Chinese Brown Sauce
You'll often find this easy to make brown sauce accompanying popular Chinese dishes such as Beef with Broccoli.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preparation:
Combine the above ingredients in order and bring to a boil, stirring. Yields about 1/3 cup.
Chile Sauce
This sauce is designed to be served with Hainanese Chicken rice, but it can also be used as a dip with appetizers. Thai fresh red chiles are a good choice for this recipe, but you can use a milder (or hotter) chile if desired.
Ingredients:
About 2 ounces fresh red chiles, seeded
1 ounce shallots, peeled
1 ounce garlic, peeled
1 ounce fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 cup boiling chicken stock
3 to 4 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon rice vinegar or malt vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Combine chiles, shallots, garlic, and ginger in a food processor or blender and process to a paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in boiling chicken stock, then remaining ingredients.
Let stand at least 1 hour before serving. (Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks). Serve with Hainanese chicken.
Hoisin Dipping Sauce
As with most dipping sauces, this tastes best if the flavors are allowed to blend for 1 hour before serving.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil for stir-frying
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
a few drops sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chile paste, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high to high heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the other ingredients. Heat through and remove from the stove. Cool. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Yields about 1/3 cup
Sweet and Sour Sauce
A quick and easy recipe that can be poured over a dish or used as a dipping sauce.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water
Preparation:
Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.
(If desired, you can add 1 green pepper, cut into chunks, and pineapple chunks as desired after adding the cornstarch. For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons while keeping the water constant.)
Yields about 1/2 cup
chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa042399.htm
