Many people enjoy eating Asian food but when it comes to cooking it
themselves they can be a bit intimidated. As a Chinese Malaysian I grew
up with the flavours of the east and have been cooking since I was just
11 years old.
Asian cooking isn't really all that difficult. There are certainly many different styles across Asia but with almost all of them the secret to success is preparation.
Before I start to cook I make sure all my ingredients are laid out and all have been pre-processed where necessary. This means if I am using chopped prawns in a dish I will have peeled them, cleaned them, cut them up and added a small amount of sugar. Only once all the ingredients are laid out do I light the gas and start to cook.
Things start to go wrong during the cooking of a dish when you discover half way through that one of the vital ingredients is still in the fridge or cupboard and you have to start searching for it while the dish overcooks or even worse, burns!
There are a few techniques that help getting various dishes correct and these include making sure the temperature of the pan is right for the dish. It is useless to try and stir fry on low heat and equally hopeless to cook a curry on high heat. Some dishes require that you monitor and change heat levels as you go.
The best tip I can give to anyone who likes to cook or wants to learn to cook, is add your ingredients (especially salt, sugar and spices) slowly and taste as you go. It is possible to use salt and sugar to balance each other to a degree but once you overdo one or the other then the dish is ruined.
Learn the basics first and once you start to gain a bit of confidence about what flavours work together, then start to experiment a bit. This is where you can experience the real joy of cooking. When you start to create successful dishes of your own without reference to any recipe books then you can take great pride in your achievements.
On the subject of recipes I should say that, unless you are a real beginner and are in danger of 'burning water', then you don't always need to follow the exact quantities that recipes give. A recipe is just an idea. As a cook it is your job to expand and improve on the original or to make the dish suited to your own particular taste.
If you like spicy food then you can add extra chillies, if you like it less salty reduce the salt. There are so many different ways to influence the finished dish.
If you love good food like I do, then you are probably one of the lucky ones who loves cooking and does not look on it as a chore. If you enjoy cooking then chances are that your food will almost always taste great.
Let's Eat Malaysian - Step by step recipes with photos
http://www.letseatmalaysian.com
Asian cooking isn't really all that difficult. There are certainly many different styles across Asia but with almost all of them the secret to success is preparation.
Before I start to cook I make sure all my ingredients are laid out and all have been pre-processed where necessary. This means if I am using chopped prawns in a dish I will have peeled them, cleaned them, cut them up and added a small amount of sugar. Only once all the ingredients are laid out do I light the gas and start to cook.
Things start to go wrong during the cooking of a dish when you discover half way through that one of the vital ingredients is still in the fridge or cupboard and you have to start searching for it while the dish overcooks or even worse, burns!
There are a few techniques that help getting various dishes correct and these include making sure the temperature of the pan is right for the dish. It is useless to try and stir fry on low heat and equally hopeless to cook a curry on high heat. Some dishes require that you monitor and change heat levels as you go.
The best tip I can give to anyone who likes to cook or wants to learn to cook, is add your ingredients (especially salt, sugar and spices) slowly and taste as you go. It is possible to use salt and sugar to balance each other to a degree but once you overdo one or the other then the dish is ruined.
Learn the basics first and once you start to gain a bit of confidence about what flavours work together, then start to experiment a bit. This is where you can experience the real joy of cooking. When you start to create successful dishes of your own without reference to any recipe books then you can take great pride in your achievements.
On the subject of recipes I should say that, unless you are a real beginner and are in danger of 'burning water', then you don't always need to follow the exact quantities that recipes give. A recipe is just an idea. As a cook it is your job to expand and improve on the original or to make the dish suited to your own particular taste.
If you like spicy food then you can add extra chillies, if you like it less salty reduce the salt. There are so many different ways to influence the finished dish.
If you love good food like I do, then you are probably one of the lucky ones who loves cooking and does not look on it as a chore. If you enjoy cooking then chances are that your food will almost always taste great.
by Dorothy Loader
About the Author
Dorothy LoaderLet's Eat Malaysian - Step by step recipes with photos
http://www.letseatmalaysian.com
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