Chinese Cooking Basics

[Hanseng]

Anyone out there struggling to cook healthful food at home, might find the following helpful:

The 3 basic flavors for nearly all Chinese style dishes are garlic, onions, and ginger. You can do a lot with these three flavors. Stir frying is the primary means of cooking food. Professional chefs use extremely high heat, almost like a blow torch. Home cooks can also do a very good job with typical stove heat. A very little oil. ~ a quarter teaspoon is enough to warm the garlic, onions, and ginger. I like to steam vegetables before adding them to this mix and stir frying them. Some pro cooks first deep fry vegetables, rinse them in water, and then braise. Avoid deep frying. Too much oil. There are vegetarian mushroom sauces available that are similar to Chinese oyster sauce, another important flavor source in Chinese cooking. "5 flavor spice" and star anise are the final 2 flavorings that can be used with good result in Chinese style cooking. Some of these items are found in Chinese supermarkets, located in your local Chinatown.

After doing the whole grain thing for years, I now use white rice for "over rice" dishes. "Over rice" is just what it sounds like. Put your vegetables over [on top of] the rice.  Fragrant rice is the best, followed by Laotian rice. Whatever rice you like is the one you should use. Some Japanese rice is very good. Just remember that all white rice is not the same. There are many subtle flavor differences that are important. If you like brown, purple, or red rice, use that. The point here is to enjoy your food. You shouldn't have to white knuckle your way through a "healthful" meal, unless you are on a therapeutic diet for a lifestyle illness.

If you are transitioning to a WFPB/vegan diet or simply bored, consider Companion brand meat substitutes. They are a Taiwanese company with a lot of flavors and options. We also used plain tofu which can absorb the delicious flavors provided by the seasonings already mentioned. Don't forget the soy sauce [to be used sparingly]. This is what works for me after 50+ years as a vegan/vegetarian.

[Hanseng]

Note: A teaspoon of oil instead of a quarter teaspoon would be better. Try 2-3 cups of chopped bai cai, tablespoon of chopped garlic, tablespoon of finely chopped fresh ginger and a medium size onion, 2 teaspoons soy sauce. These are approximate. Adjust to suit your taste including salt.  

[Hanseng]

 

This is Pi Xian Dou Ban jiang--fermented red bean paste. It's made from fermented fava beans and chili. Often used in Sichuan style cooking, a little goes a long way. A  bowl of rice with a little of this and some soy sauce makes a dish. Great seasoning for eggplant dishes. Also good with tofu. Probably need to go to Chinatown to find it.

[Hanseng]

Those strictly following a WFPB diet with no oil might question the use of even small amounts of oil in food preparation. Oil is fairly common in Chinese food. Some dishes are loaded with it. It doesn't have to be so. Chinese style dishes can be made with quite small amounts of oil. The reason we use small amounts of oil is simple, we like our food to be delicious.

Dr. Esselstyn, in his book, Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease, cites a study on page 44, done by Dr. Vogel. One group of people ate a 900kcal meal with half the calories from fast-food meals including animal fats. Another group ate 900 kcal with no fat. A test was then performed checking the resiliency of arteries. The group that ate the high fat meal experienced arterial rigidity for several hours. The group that ate the no fat meal had no problem.

Certain groups of WFPB eaters have interpreted this to mean no fat at all, of any kind, should be consumed. The problem with that interpretation is that the high fat meal included half the kcal from fat in a fast food meal, i.e., a high % of animal fat.

There is a difference between a teaspoon of vegetable oil used to prepare, say, a bowl of pasta and tomato sauce and a fast-food meal comprised of 50% fat, including animal. Dr. Esselstyn also faults the Mediterranean diet, which has about 30% of kcal from fat, including vegetable oils and animal fat.

We aim for 10-12% of our kcal from fat. Aside from that bit of oil in food preparation, the other source of dietary fat comes mostly from dry roasted cashews. Nuts are not at all common in Chinese cooking, more so in other places like Laos and Thailand. There is a cashew salad available in Laos, for example, that is made primarily from cashews. It includes chopped tomatoes, onions and maybe cilantro. I prefer it without chili.

Adam and Eve were originally vegan and the Israelites were in the wilderness, eating manna. Unfortunately, as with us, they were not saved by their diet and ultimately were destroyed. Salvation comes through faith in Christ, not our diet.

[Rahab]

It’s the manufacturing process that has turned good oil into toxic oil. 
 

eat a few raw nuts and seeds daily 

[Hanseng]

I can't speak to the manufacturing process of all oil. Some is made by putting sesame seeds, for example, into a hydraulic press. The seeds are pressed, the oil is produced. There is really no "process." There are likely other ways which are not so simple. 

One Chinese dish that includes nuts is made by blanching walnuts, peeling them and serving them with mint leaves. Nice looking dish, contrasting the green of the mint with the white of the peeled walnuts.

[Hanseng]

A Chinese "boy" named John Chew cooked for the White household when they were living in Oakland, California~1876

7 MR 261

[Rahab]

Raw and fresh squeezed should be okay and lower cooking temperature best. 

[Hanseng]

I'm not advocating the free use of oil, just pointing out individuals who spend their time looking for hidden oil in foods are too extreme for my taste. Oil does result in high calories. Dr. Esselstyn also references an individual who was having angina, even though he had lost a lot of weight on a healthier diet. Dr. Esselstyn carefully reviewed his history and discovered that the man was taking a spoonful of olive oil at mealtime every day. Once he eliminated the oil, the angina left. Again, this was a man with a history of obesity and angina who was taking 2-3 teaspoons of straight olive oil every day. That's a lot different than someone who makes tomato sauce with a teaspoon of oil a couple of times a week.

We make a bread without oil that is really good. Follows a French bread recipe and substitutes whole wheat flour for one third of the white flour. Toasted and rubbed with a garlic clove, makes the best garlic bread ever. With spaghetti sauce that may include a teaspoon of oil and a glass of fresh grape juice, it's not Chinatown but it is delicious. 

[Rahab]

Okay 

[Theophilus]

On 7/31/2023 at 11:14 PM, Hanseng said:

I'm not advocating the free use of oil, just pointing out individuals who spend their time looking for hidden oil in foods are too extreme for my taste. Oil does result in high calories. Dr. Esselstyn also references an individual who was having angina, even though he had lost a lot of weight on a healthier diet. Dr. Esselstyn carefully reviewed his history and discovered that the man was taking a spoonful of olive oil at mealtime every day. Once he eliminated the oil, the angina left. Again, this was a man with a history of obesity and angina who was taking 2-3 teaspoons of straight olive oil every day. That's a lot different than someone who makes tomato sauce with a teaspoon of oil a couple of times a week.

We make a bread without oil that is really good. Follows a French bread recipe and substitutes whole wheat flour for one third of the white flour. Toasted and rubbed with a garlic clove, makes the best garlic bread ever. With spaghetti sauce that may include a teaspoon of oil and a glass of fresh grape juice, it's not Chinatown but it is delicious. 

recipe for bread pls

[Hanseng]

This is a bowl of millet congee. Congee is a porridge, often made from white rice with a garnish of green onions. It can be made from other grains, have beans, nuts or other vegetables added. It's quite like American oatmeal but with different grains and more liquid added. It is sometimes made from squash. Very popular breakfast or evening meal. It is often eaten with a "donut" in the morning. The donut is deep fried flour which I avoid now. Another item eaten with congee might be baozi. Baozi is a bun stuffed with vegetables or meat. Often baicai and tofu are used. It is steamed and really very delicious. Comes with various other stuffings such as eggplant. A green vegetable with tofu is also popular. Very convenient too.

[Hanseng]

1 hour ago, Theophilus said:

recipe for bread pls

My Chinese cook is secretive with her recipes. I do know she got the French bread recipe off the internet. Substituting 1/3 whole flour for part of the white flour made a tremendous difference. What's amazing is the taste and consistency for a bread without oil or egg.

 

[Hanseng]

This is "red cooked" eggplant, a very delicious way of preparing it. Over rice, it makes a near perfect meal. Eggplant can be fried on a non-stick surface or steamed, then add the flavorings and stir fry. Onion, ginger, and garlic can be cooked in about a teaspoon of oil. Add soy sauce, sugar and pi xian dou ban jiang for the delicious sauce.  Stir fry with the already prepared eggplant.

A lot of recipes call for too much oil, which is unnecessary. When this dish is prepared properly, it's as if the eggplant has been glazed or candied with a delicious, sweet sauce. A bit of kick comes from the pi xian dou ban jiang. While this may look a bit oily, you can get that look by adding some corn starch and water to the other seasonings during the final stir-frying stage. 

 

 

[Hanseng]

Approximate proportions for red cooked eggplant:

1 ~medium size eggplant. If using non stick pan to fry, slice ~1/4 inch thick. Steam can use thicker wedges.

1T soy sauce

" ginger

" onion

" garlic

1t Pi xian dou ban jiang

1t sugar

Salt to taste 

[Hanseng]

This is bitter melon. The first time I tasted it, I was surprised. Definitely bitter, like nothing else I've tasted. Popular in China, it is also eaten in Pakistan, Philippines, and other places. The Filipino way is to prepare it with the standard garlic, onion and ginger. Tomatoes are also added and it is stewed. Pakistanis make a bitter melon dish with curry which is also quite a surprise. The middle part is discarded. I told a friend she would either love it or hate it. She hated it. I liked it. The Filipino way over rice is my favorite. Some Chinese cooks add a bit of fermented salty black beans to the dish. Bitter melon, also known as balsam pear, might be considered an acquired taste. There is also a smooth skinned variety

Stateside, can likely be found in Asian supermarkets.

[Rahab]

Isn’t bitter melon medicinal too?

I’ve heard it will balance blood sugars after meals. 

[Hanseng]

Gai Lan is a Chinese vegetable, the taste of which would likely appeal to the Western palate. Chinese favor the crisp stalks. Others may favor the leaves. Broccolini is a hybrid made from gai lan and broccoli. Gai lan is often served with a garlic sauce, maybe with oyster sauce. There are vegetarian oyster sauces available. I prefer the garlic sauce, which is not hard to make. Simply pulverize garlic, mortar & pestle style, mix with hot water maybe some corn starch. If you like broccoli, you'll be glad you tasted this. Gai Lan is a member of the brassica genus, which includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale and other nutritious and delicious vegetables. All part of the mustard family.

[Hanseng]

1 hour ago, Rahab said:

Isn’t bitter melon medicinal too?

I make no claims for the medicinal claims regarding Chinese vegetables.  Tu You You won the Nobel prize a few years ago for her work, based on Chinese herbal texts.

[Hanseng]

This is Chinese "lettuce." Both the leaves and the stalk taste good. The stalk can be peeled and shredded like a carrot. Either raw or cooked, it is good. Stalks can be sliced, cubed and steamed or fried. I recall that it had an umami like taste and fragrance, unusual for a green vegetable.

[Hanseng]

An Introduction to Chinese Vegetables: Leafy Green - China Sichuan Food

 

[Hanseng]

This vegetable is known as xiao mi cai  but the name may be different in various places. Aside from being very tasty, the juice it produces in cooking is purple in color.

[Rahab]

Can use that for acid/base testing. ☺️

[Hanseng]

Rice, noodles, or bread can serve as part of a meal, depending on one's location. A rule of thumb is that rice is eaten in southern China, noodles in the north. There are exceptions. Bread is eaten all over. Mantou is one of the most popular. It makes a good rice substitute. It's a raised, steamed bread with little, if any, oil. Usually made of fine white flour but can include whole wheat or corn. Pictured is whole wheat mantou:  

Slice one of these puppies in half, add tomato, onion, and lettuce with some dressing, you have a very good sandwich. Mantou is a very soft, easy to chew bread. It's great to mop up vegetable juices or sauce found in red cooked eggplant.

[Hanseng]

This bread, called Nang, is among the best tasting breads in China. I first tasted it at a restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley, USA. The restaurant was named Islamic Chinese. It's a bread made by the Muslim Uyghurs of Xinjiang. The Uyghur's break it in pieces and serve vegetables and/ or meat over it in place of rice.

How to Make Uyghur Bread from Xinjiang (video + 4-step process) (farwestchina.com)