Equipment

Woks

A wok is an essential piece of equipment for Chinese cooking. The wok is designed to allow heat to spread over a large surface area quickly for rapid cooking, which is essential for stir frying. Choose a flat based wok if cooking on a flat surface i.e. an electric ring as less heat is lost when the bottom of the wok comes into contact with the heat source. The traditional shaped round wok is suitable for gas as there is maximum coverage from flame to wok.
Woks can be made from carbon steel or cast iron, both are equally as good but do bear in mind that these woks need to be seasoned and cared for as they will rust.
Non stick woks are very popular for the busy household. Do choose a heavy based non stick wok and avoid buying a cheap one as it will deteriorate and start to stick in a short space of time. If you are planning to use the wok for steaming, it is necessary to buy a wok with a lid and to season the wok with oil after steaming

Wok Stand

This secures the wok on the cooker, especially if steaming or deep frying with a round bottomed wok.

Wok Brush

Only use a wok brush if using a carbon steel or iron wok. It is used for cleaning away food particles from the wok, especially if it is to be used again for preparing another dish. Do not immerse or run cold water over a hot wok.

Wok Ladle or Spatula

Notice that the edge of the ladle is shaped to fit into the round bottom of the wok. It is used to lift and turn the food when stir frying to ensure the food to be cooked comes into contact with the hot surface of the wok.

Bamboo Strainer
Necessary when lifting food out of a steamer or hot oil. The strainer has a bamboo handle which does not conduct heat, to make it easier to handle.

Steamers
Because of its health benefits, steaming has become a popular method of cooking. The Chinese especially favour this cooking method as a nutritious and delicious way to cook fish. A little light soy, finely shredded ginger and dash of sesame oil is all you need for satisfying results. In South East Asia many cakes and desserts are cooked in a steamer.

Bamboo Steamer

The traditional option, bamboo steamers can be used individually or stacked. Food needs to be placed on a plate within the steamer and the bamboo steamer is then placed in a lidded wok. The pan or wok is filled with water to below the bottom of the bamboo steamer and brought to boil whereby the food in the steamer is cooked. If your bamboo steamer does not fit snugly in the wok, a steaming rack or insert needs to be placed in the wok to support the steamer. One good point for using bamboo steamers is that the food may be taken directly to the table in the steamer and is kept hot within the warm bamboo basket. Many dim sum dishes are prepared by this method.

Metal Steamer

Usually made of aluminium or stainless steel, these steamers come with one or two steaming trays. The base pot is where water is boiled and perforated trays are placed above to cook the food. Food is placed on plates, oiled paper or muslin to cook. There is very little mess to clear up and the hot water in the base pot can be used to wash up at the end of the meal.

Knives
Chinese and Japanese knives are very similar in shape and size, both are perfect for chopping, slicing and mincing meat or vegetables for Oriental cooking. These functional knives which are usually made from carbon steel, are reasonably priced, easily sharpened and most importantly remain sharp longer than other knives. Stainless steel knives are more expensive but they do not rust or tarnish, however they blunt easily and will need to be sharpened more often.
Generally the knives you would find in a Chinese or a South Asian kitchen are:

Chopper or Cleaver

A big chopper or cleaver with a very wide rectangle blade is used for breaking up and crushing bones. Smaller, medium weight cleavers are used to chop meat and vegetables. The flat blade is often used to mash ginger and garlic, also the heavy wooden handle is ideal for bruising lemongrass, galangal and spices.

Chefs Knife
A chef's or kitchen knife with its pointed blade is used for cutting, slicing, shredding and chopping vegetables, it is especially good if vegetables need to be sliced finely.

All purpose Knife
A small all purpose knife is used to peel vegetables, fruit and perform many other tasks.


Care of Knives
Remember that carbon steel knives are prone to rust and discolour, especially when used to cut vegetables and fruit with high acidic content. Care must be taken to dry the knives well after washing, rub a thin film of vegetable oil onto the blade to prevent it from rusting, especially if the knife is not used daily. Keep the knives in a clean and dry place with the cutting edge protected. Some cleavers come with a protective cardboard sleeve in which to store the blade.

Knife Sharpening - Whetstone
Traditionally, Chinese and Japanese knives are sharpened with a whetstone. A light coating of cooking oil or water is needed to help with the sharpening process. To sharpen your knife, hold the blade constantly at a 20 degree angle to the stone, sharpen in one direction only and use the whole blade of the knife from heel to top. Use light even strokes using the same number of strokes on each side of the blade. A good test of a sharp knife is to hold up a sheet of paper and slice it with your sharpened knife.


Chinese Chopping Boards

The best thing about using a wooden chopping board is that it does not dull knives as quickly as a plastic board. Scrub the board thoroughly after use with hot water and detergent and allow to dry naturally.

Mortar and Pestle

A pestle and mortar is for the adventurous cook who is prepared to cook from scratch. Most granite pestle and mortars are used to grind chillies, shallots, lemongrass and ginger. Pan roasted whole spices can also be ground quickly to release their flavours. It will last a lifetime and indeed many pestle and mortars are passed down from generation to generation. Constant use wears down the granite and results in a smooth finish in the bowl of the mortar.

Food processor
A modern alternative to the pestle and mortar, a food processor will grind chillies, onions, ginger, etc quickly and efficiently, although a little water may be needed to move the ingredients in the processor. Perfect for modern day living however, hard spices which need to be ground to a powder cannot be prepared in a food processor.

Rice Cookers
A staple for Oriental cuisine, most meals are centred around rice. The accompanying dishes and soups are prepared to add flavour to this most basic ingredient.In the West, easy-cook rice is popular because it is easy to prepare. The Chinese however would never use easy-cook rice, preferring instead Jasmine or another long grain rice. The traditional way of cooking perfect rice in a lidded pot and using the absorption method is covered in another section. Here we would like to inform you of the modern way to cook rice, in a rice cooker or microwaveable container.

Electric Rice Cookers

Rice cookers are available in many sizes, capable of cooking from 2 cups to 10 cups of rice. A good rule of thumb when deciding on the size of cooker you need is the number of cups the cooker is capable of cooking. The smallest cooker is perfect to cooking sufficient rice for 4 persons and is a good investment. Washed rice and water are measured in equal quantities, switched on and the cooker switches itself off when the rice is cooked. Rice is kept warm until required and can be kept warm for upto 90 minutes after it is cooked. Some rice cookers can also be used as steamers, but do read the sales literature carefully as not all rice cookers have this facility.

Microwaveable Rice Cookers

Only suitable for cooking sufficient rice for two persons, microwaveable rice cookers are economical and easy to use. Washed rice and water are placed in a lidded pot and microwaved for approximately 9 minutes, stopping every 3 minutes to stir the rice during the cooking process. Perfect for people with busy lifestyle and limited storage space in their kitchens.