Discover 5 Chinese recipes, from quick favourites to slower weekend cooking.
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◷ 47 minmedium
Tender chicken, crunchy roasted peanuts and spring onions in a glossy, tangy sauce with dried chillies and Sichuan pepper. Cook the chicken in small batches for lightly browned edges, then serve with jasmine rice.
Oct 17
◷ 600 minmedium
Marinated strips of pork shoulder, oven-roasted and finished with thin coats of honey–hoisin glaze for glossy, caramelised edges and juicy, sweet-savoury slices. Allow 8–24 hours for refrigerated marinating.
Oct 14
◷ 51 minmedium
Soft tofu and minced pork in a glossy, chilli-hot sauce with doubanjiang, fermented black beans and tingling Sichuan pepper. Gentle simmering keeps the tofu tender, while a little cornflour gives the sauce a light gloss. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Oct 8
◷ 47 mineasy
Creamy aubergine with browned edges, springy wheat noodles and a glossy chilli-crisp, soy and rice-vinegar sauce. A little chilli crisp added at the table keeps its crunch.
Oct 5
◷ 15 mineasy
Stir-fry cooked, chilled rice with eggs, spring onions, a little soy sauce and neutral oil for separate grains and tender pieces of egg. A wok or large frying pan works well. Ready in about 15 minutes when the rice is already cooked and chilled.
Oct 1Compare the ingredients, cooking time and equipment below to find a dish that fits your plans. Each recipe includes quantities and a step-by-step method.
Preparation takes 23 minutes. Cooking takes 35 minutes. Allow 47 minutes in total. Makes 2 servings. Key ingredients: raw boneless, skinless chicken thighs, light soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, cornflour, cold water. Equipment: 28–30 cm heavy frying pan or wok, Approximately 1.5-litre saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, Digital food thermometer, Chopping board and knife, Kitchen scissors, Marinade bowl and small sauce bowl, Clean plate for cooked chicken, Heatproof spatula, Fine sieve.
Kitchen tip: Keep each chicken batch to approximately 200 g in a 28–30 cm pan. For a smaller pan, use three batches and allow extra cooking time.
Preparation takes 40 minutes. Cooking takes 85 minutes. Allow 600 minutes in total. Makes 4 servings. Key ingredients: raw boneless, rindless pork shoulder, weighed after trimming thick external fat and tough surface membranes, hoisin sauce, divided: 80 g for the marinade and 20 g for the glaze, standard light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine. Equipment: Deep roasting tin approximately 35 × 25 cm, Fitted roasting rack large enough for four strips with at least 2 cm between them, Probe thermometer, Snug non-reactive marinating container with lid, or a food-safe bag, Mixing bowl and three small glaze bowls, Pastry brush, plus a clean brush for the final coat, Tongs, Foil, Kettle, Knife and separate clean carving board.
Kitchen tip: Thickness matters more than length: a whole shoulder joint is not an equivalent shortcut. Use a rack that fits all four strips without crowding.
Preparation takes 19 minutes. Cooking takes 35 minutes. Allow 51 minutes in total. Makes 4 servings. Key ingredients: soft block tofu, minced pork, rapeseed oil, fresh ginger, garlic. Equipment: 28–30 cm wok or deep sauté pan, at least 3 litres capacity, 1.5–2 litre saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, Slotted spoon and colander, Mortar and pestle or spice grinder, Small bowl for cornflour slurry, Heatproof spatula or spoon, Digital food thermometer.
Kitchen tip: Keep the tofu at a gentle simmer and nudge it with the back of a spoon. Vigorous stirring and hard boiling can break soft tofu apart.
Preparation takes 13 minutes. Cooking takes 35 minutes. Allow 47 minutes in total. Makes 2 servings. Key ingredients: raw aubergine, trimmed weight (about 2 medium), dried plain medium-width wheat noodles, neutral oil, such as rapeseed oil, water, water for cooking the noodles. Equipment: Deep 28–30 cm frying pan with a close-fitting lid, Saucepan of at least 3 litres, Colander, Measuring jug, Small mixing bowl, Broad spatula or tongs, Plate for the cooked aubergine, Knife and chopping board.
Kitchen tip: If 250 g aubergine will not fit in a single layer, use three batches and divide the measured frying oil and steaming water between them. Allow extra cooking time.
Preparation takes 5 minutes. Cooking takes 10 minutes. Allow 15 minutes in total. Makes 2 servings. Key ingredients: cooked, chilled long-grain rice, promptly refrigerated after cooking and stored for no more than 24 hours, large eggs, spring onions, trimmed, about 45 g (1½ oz), neutral oil, such as rapeseed/canola or sunflower oil, divided, light soy sauce. Equipment: 30 cm (12-inch) frying pan or 35 cm (14-inch) wok, Spatula, Small bowl and fork, Clean plate for the cooked eggs, Chopping board and knife, Measuring spoons, Kitchen scale or measuring cups, Instant-read food thermometer.
Kitchen tip: The 15-minute timing assumes the rice is already cooked and safely chilled; cooking and chilling the rice require additional time.