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16
Special Ingredients
Agar-agar
This convenient product can be purchased in
fine sheets and is made from different types
of seaweed. It has excellent setting properties,
similar to gelatine, and will set at room
temperature.
Bok choy
Also known as Chinese chard or Chinese white
cabbage, bok choy has fleshy white stems and
dark green leaves with a slight mustard taste.
There is also a smaller version called Shanghai
or baby bok choy.
Bamboo shoots
The young tender shoots of bamboo plants
are available in cans from the supermarket
or Asian grocery stores. Bamboo shoots are
mainly used to add texture to dishes.
Coconut cream and coconut milk
Both coconut cream and milk are extracted
from the grated flesh of mature coconuts. The
cream is a richer first pressing and the milk the
second or third pressing. Low-fat products are
also available and can be readily substituted in
recipes.
Chillies, fresh and dried
Chillies are available in many different types
and sizes. Small chillies (birds eye or bird
peppers) are the hottest. Use tight fitting gloves
when handling and chopping fresh chillies
as they can burn your skin. The chilli seeds
are the hottest part of the chillies so remove
them if you want to reduce the heat content of
recipes.
Crisp fried shallots
These are available pre prepared from most
Asian grocery stores and supermarkets.
Char siu sauce
This is the equivalent of Chinese barbecue
sauce.
Coriander
Also known as cilantro and Chinese parsley,
it is an essential in many southeast Asian
cuisines. A strongly flavoured herb, use it
sparingly unless accustomed to the unique
flavour. Parsley can be substituted and
although it looks similar, parsley tastes quite
different. Coriander is available as a fresh
green herb and also as a ground spice and in
seed form.
Fish sauce
A thin, salty dark brown sauce with a
distinctive fishy smell, used extensively in Thai
and Vietnamese cookery, it is made from small
fish that have been fermented in the sun. Fish
sauce replaces salt in many recipes.
Garam marsala
A blend of spices, usually consisting of a
combination of cinnamon, cumin, pepper,
cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and mace. It can
be bought already blended from supermarkets,
but it is best freshly made. It is usually added
towards the end of cooking.
Green ginger wine
An Australian made alcoholic sweet wine
infused with ginger.
Hoisin sauce
This sauce is a thick sweet Chinese barbecue
sauce made from a mixture of salted black
beans, onions and garlic.
Hoikkien noodles
These noodles, made from wheat flour, are
thick, yellow and firm in texture and are cooked
and lightly oiled before being packaged. The
noodles need to be separated before cooking
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