Chinese food....why can't I get it to taste at all similar at home?

[joeyb7]

Tried it again last night....Fried rice tasted like white rice with some flavoring in it, beef and brocolli was O.K. I've tried several recipes, and while they're good....I just end up going out and picking some up after all.

 

Anyone have any fried rice or other simple chinese food recipes that actually work at home??

 

Thanks everyone!

[PantherDave]

Ancient Chinese secret

[joeyb7]

I could have seen that comment coming from a mile away! hahaha!

[Kid Cid]

The secret to fried rice as with any chinese food is the sauce. Oh and just in case you;re interested, most of what is called Chinese food here in the states is considered fast food, almost like McDonalds over there, so take it for what you will.

 

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs rice wine

1 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

 

4 cups cooked white rice

1/4 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup frozen diced carrots

 

1 egg

 

meat (chicken, shrimp, beef, pork or whatever)

 

peanut oil for frying

heat wok before adding oil

 

stir fry meat in wok depending on meat type, anywhere between 2 and 5 minutes. remove from wok.

 

mix chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine, white and black pepper together.

 

scramble egg, quickly pour into wok. scramble there with chop sticks until done approx 1 minute. Pull cooked Egg up the sides of the wok (but don't remove) to keep warm. Add rice to wok, fry for 2-3 minutes. Add peas and carrots and meat. Cook for 1 minute. add egg back in, and pour sauce mixture over everything. Cook approx 1 minute or until every thing is coated.

Edited September 10, 2007 by Kid Cid

[rajncajn]

MSG

[Bier Meister]

might have somthing to do with equiptment and ingredients.

[PantherDave]

das fwyed wyce you plick....Uncle Benny

[detlef]

The biggest reason why homemade Asian food tastes so much different than what you get in restaurants is the fact that most people would freak out at the amount of oil, salt, and sugar that goes into many of those dishes and they tend to throttle back. The result is a dish that only barely resembles what they had at the restaurant.

 

Fried rice is a perfect example. In addition to a well seasoned wok, it takes a ton of oil to actually get the rice to fry, more than anyone feels good about using. Of course, when you eat out, you have no idea, so you just happily lap it up.

 

Your beef and broccoli? Chances are, the Chinese place coats the beef with cornstarch and sherry and then deep fries it before adding it to the rest of the dish.

 

This is likely more true for a dish like Pad Thai than any other. In addition to a ton of oil. Most Thai chefs will put an insane amount of sugar in it.

 

To be honest, that is basically why my place doesn't attempt to make truly authentic Asian cuisine. By adopting the flavors of these cuisines but making an evolved fusion, I'm able to make tasty food without all that oil and sugar. Well, unless I'm braising pork bellies, then it's all about the fat

 

Really, that's not unlike why most non-Asian food also tastes so much different in restaurants. Pasta is a fine example. 80% of restaurants will add like 2-3 Tbspns of butter right at the end to finish off most pasta dishes. Maybe that's why the Penne Vodka at the joint down the street tastes so much better than yours.

 

If you added a 1/4 stick of butter to everything you made right as you were finishing it, your food would taste really good as well. Of course, you'd be on lipitor in a month.

[MojoMan]

might have somthing to do with equiptment and ingredients.

 

Don't forget about his lack of skill too.