Hyderabadi Masala Chicken Biryani Recipe

Al Kabsa recipe – Saudi rice and meat dish

Ingredients

2 1/2 kg lamb, large cubes
4 cups basmati rice
1/2 kg carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 green pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 kg tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 kg finely chopped onions
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch ground cumin
1 pinch ground coriander
salt and black pepper
butter or olive oil(for frying)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Kabsa Spice Mix

1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamoms
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground dried limes

Sauce

2 cups water
1 beef stock cube(Maggi)
1 large onion, finely chopped
14 ounces chopped tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup diced celery
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

Method

1. Fry meat until browned on all sides. Add enough water to the pot so that it covers the meat by 1.5″-2″, bring to a boil then cook gently over medium heat for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until tender. Reserve stock & set meat aside.

2. Soak rice for 15 minutes. Drain, rise under running water then drain well.

3. Add butter to a large stock pot or casserole, fry the onion, pepper, carrot & spices. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until tender.

4. Add rice to vegetables in the pot, cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add meat stock until stock covers rice (approx 1.5″ above rice). Cover pot. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until tender – add a little more stock or water if rice seems to become dry.

5. Prepare the sauce.

6. Fry onion, garlic and tomato in the butter. Add tomato paste, celery, salt, cinnamon, water & stock cube. Cook on medium heat until slightly thickened and celery is tender.

7. Serve in a large dish or on a platter. Place the rice first, top with meat & garnish with pine nuts. Serve the sauce in a jug with a spoon.

Biriyani

Ingredients:

Chicken
Salt
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
2 or 3 whole cloves
5 black peppercorns
Flour
3 cups basmati rice (or other short-grained rice)
Onion-spice topping (hashu):
2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
¼ cup golden raisins, soaked in water
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
¼ tsp. dried black lime (loomi), or ½ tsp. lime zest**
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. sugar
Tomato sauce (duqqus):
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tb. tomato paste

Method:

1) Rinse chicken inside and out. Place in a stockpot with enough water to cover. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil uncovered over medium heat until chicken is done (approximately 40 minutes). Remove and drain the chicken, reserving broth.

2) Drain fat off the top of the broth and strain broth to remove spices. Prepare three cups of basmati rice according to package directions, using broth from chicken instead of water. Add salt if necessary.

3) While rice is cooking, cook onions in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until clear. Sprinkle with a little water and stir quickly until onions are brown and the water has evaporated. Stir in oil, draineraisins, and spices. Cook for one minute. Remove mixture from skillet and set aside.

4) Lightly dust the boiled, drained chicken with flour. In a clean skillet over medium-high heat, brown the chicken, turning frequently, until the outside is brown and crispy.

Saute Vegetable

Honey Soya Chicken Recipe

Gow Gees

Yields about 20 gow gees

Ingredients:

• 3 Chinese dried mushrooms
• 3 ounces shelled, deveined large shrimp
• 3 ounces ground pork
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped bamboo shoots, canned or fresh
• 2 water chestnuts, finely chopped, to make 2 tablespoons
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine or rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 20 round wonton wrappers
• 4 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying, or as needed

Preparation:

Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking them in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water. Remove the stems and chop finely.

Soak the shrimp in lightly salted warm water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

While the mushrooms and shrimp are soaking, prepare the vegetables.

In a medium bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients.

Lay the wonton out. Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle. Wet all the edges with water (you can also use lightly beaten egg if desired). Carefully fold the wonton over the filling and seal, crimping the edges as you do so. Continue with the remainder of the wonton wrappers until the filling is gone.

Add the oil to the wok and heat to between 360 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Deep-fry the gow gees, a few at a time, until they are golden brown (2 to 3 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the gow gees from the oil. Drain on paper towels.

Serve the gow gees hot with soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or chili sauce, or your favorite dumpling dipping sauce.

Crabmeat Ragoon Appetizer Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of canned crabmeat
• 1/2 teaspoon A-1 Steak Sauce
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 dozen wonton wrappers

Preparation:

Combine crabmeat, steak sauce, egg yolk, garlic powder and cream cheese until it forms a pastelike consistency. Place rounded spoonful of mixture in center of each wrapper. Bring 4 corners together and pinch to seal. Deep-fry at 375 degrees until golden brown. Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce. Leftovers keep for only a day.

Crab Rangoon

My version of the popular appetizer. Yields 48 Crab Rangoon.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 8 ounces fresh crab meat or canned crab meat, drained and flaked
• 1 teaspoon red onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 green onion, finely sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed, peeled, and finely minced
• 1 package won ton wrappers
• 1 small bowl water
• Oil for deep-frying, as needed

Preparation:

Combine the cream cheese and crab meat.  Mix in the remaining six filling ingredients (up to the wonton wrappers) one at a time.

On a flat surface, lay out a won ton wrapper in front of you so that it forms 2 triangles (not a square). Wet the edges of the won ton.

Add 1 teaspoon of filling to the middle, and spread it out toward the left and right points of the wrapper so that it forms a log or rectangular shape (otherwise the wrapper may break in the middle during deep-frying).

Fold over the edges of the wrapper to make a triangle. Wet the edges with water and press together to seal.

Keep the completed Crab Rangoon covered with a damp towel or paper towel to keep them from drying out while preparing the remainder.

Heat wok and add oil for deep-frying. When oil is ready (the temperature should be between 360 - 375 degrees), carefully slide in the Crab Rangoon, taking care not to overcrowd the wok. Deep-fry until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Serve hot with Sweet and Sour Sauce or Chinese Hot Mustard.

Clam Sycee

Clam sycee originated in Shanghai, on the coast of eastern China. A popular New Year's dish, it symbolizes good fortune and prosperity, as the stuffed clams resemble the gold or silver bouillion originally used as money in China. Traditionally, the clams would be steamed before stir-frying or deep-frying, but I've cooked them in wine instead and combined the wine with the sauce for a bit of extra flavor.
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 2 dozen clams, such as littleneck or cherrystone
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, divided
• 1 slice ginger
• 1 green onion, cut on the diagonal into thirds
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Salt, to taste

Preparation:

Use a stiff brush to scrub the outside of the clams under cold running water. Drain.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, wine, 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or sherry, ginger, and green onion and the clams. Cover and cook just until the clams open (about 10 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the clams from the pan. Do not clean out the pan.

While the clams are steaming, mix the cornstarch and water into a paste. Combine the chicken broth, oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and sugar.

Shuck the clams, setting aside the shells for later. Mince the clam meat and combine with the ground pork. Stir in 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and salt to taste.

Stuff this mixture into the clam half shells. Rub the cornstarch/water mixture paste over top. Reserve any extra cornstarch paste to add to the sauce later.

At this point you can either deep-fry or stir-fry the clams. If deep-frying, be careful to deep-fry only a few clams at a time, meat side up, sliding them carefully into the wok so that the oil doesn't splatter. Deep-fry until golden in color and drain on paper towels or a tempura rack if you have one. If stir-frying, place the clams in the wok with the meat side down. Stir-fry in 2 tablespoons heated oil until golden.

Add the sauce ingredients into the pan with the wine. Add the clams back to the wok and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Add any remaining cornstarch/water paste, stirring quickly to thicken. Serve hot.

Chinese Coq au Vin

Ingredients:

• 6 dried Shiitake mushrooms
• 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 2 slices ginger, cut into thin slices
• 2 cloves ginger, crushed
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup Chinese rice wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Salt, to taste 
• Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, optional
• 4 to 5 cups oil for deep-frying, as needed

Preparation:

Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water and thinly slice.

Heat 4 cups oil for deep-frying to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Deep-fry the chicken pieces until they are brown and crispy. Remove from the wok and drain. Remove all but 1 tablespoon oil from the wok.

Add the bacon and cook over medium heat until it is browned and crispy. Push up to the sides of the wok.

Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the onion and stir-fry until it is browned (about 3 minutes). Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce while stir-frying the onion. Add the mushrooms. Stir-fry for a minute.

Add the chicken back into the wok. Add the broth and wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomato paste, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked (about 30 minutes). When the chicken is nearly cooked, stir in the chopped fresh cilantro if using. Serve hot.

Chicken Wonton

Makes about 16 wonton

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 green onions
• 8 ounces ground chicken meat
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter or sesame paste
• 3 tablespoon shredded carrot
• 1 teaspoon green curry paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• Oil for deep-frying and stir-frying, as needed

Preparation:

Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil, drizzling it down the sides of the wok. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic and green onion. Stir-fry briefly, then add the chicken meat and stir-fry on high heat until the chicken changes color and is nearly cooked through. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Remove the wok from the burner and allow the mixture to cool.

  Set out the wonton wrappers with a small bowl filled with water. Lay out 1 wonton wrapper, and place approximately 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the middle. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the edges of the wonton wrapper to wet. Take another wonton wrapper and place it on top in a way that forms a star shape (ie. the top wrapper looks like a diamond instead of a square). Continue with the rest of the mixture.

  To deep-fry, heat 3 to 4 cups of oil to between 360 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Deep-fry the wontons a few at a time, sliding them carefully into the wok so that the oil doesn't splatter. Deep-fry until they turn golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce or the dipping sauce of your choice.

Chicken With Green and Red Peppers

Serves 4

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
• Marinate:
• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Other:
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 2 green onions
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 cups oil for deep-frying, or as needed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine, balsamic, or red rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Preparation:

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine the chicken cubes well with the marinade ingredients. Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes.

Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Cut the green onions on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Mince the ginger.

Heat the oil for deep-frying to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the chicken cubes. Deep-fry until golden brown, stirring to separate the individual cubes. Drain on paper towels.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. Add the ginger and stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the green pepper. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the orange pepper. Stir-fry briefly, then add the red pepper. Splash the vinegar over. Stir in the sugar and salt.

Add the chicken cubes back into the wok. Stir in the chile paste and the green onion. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve hot over rice.

Chicken Wings With Oyster Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 00 minute

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings (about 15)
• Marinade:
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 green onion, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients.

Place the chicken in a shallow glass baking dish and brush with part of the marinade. Bake the wings for approximately 1 hour, turning over at least once, and brushing with the marinade 2 or 3 times during cooking. Serve hot or cold as an appetizer.

These chicken wings can also be deep-fried: toss the wings in a flour/cornstarch batter (use as much cornstarch/flour as needed, keeping a 1:1 ratio between the two) so they are well coated, and deep-fry until crispy and well cooked. Drain on paper towels. 

Chicken Velvet

Chicken velvet is a festive dish made by coating chicken in beaten egg white, and then poaching the mixture in oil and heating it in a rich stock. The final result really is "smooth as velvet."

Serves 4 to 6

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, 6 to 7 ounces each, boneless, skinless
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock, divided (see directions for a chicken stock recipe)
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups oil for deep-frying, or as needed
• 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
• 2 leeks, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• a few drops sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoons chopped Chinese or Virginia cooked ham

Preparation:

Chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. Use a food processor set at low speed to mince the chicken breasts.

Add 2 tablespoons good chicken stock to the minced chicken, a few drops at a time, until you have a paste-like consistency.

Beat the egg whites until they are just beginning to stiffen. Carefully fold the beaten egg white into the chicken mixture. Add the cornstarch and salt and pepper.

Heat the wok. Add the oil for deep-frying and heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. When the oil is ready, add the chicken mixture and deep-fry quickly, using cooking chopsticks to separate the individual pieces. Turn over and cook the other side (total cooking time should be 2 to 3 minutes). Remove and drain on paper towels. Remove the oil and clean out the wok.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add the chopped leeks. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then stir in the soy sauce and sugar. Stir-fry until the leeks until they turn bright green. Remove from the wok.

In a medium saucepan or the wok, bring the remaining 1 cup chicken stock to a boil. Add the chicken mixture. Bring back to a boil, and stir in the rice vinegar and sesame oil. Taste and add soy sauce, sugar, salt, or other seasonings as desired. Thicken with the cornstarch slurry. Serve hot on a platter with the leeks. Garnish with the chopped ham.

Variations: Chicken Velvet is frequently served with stir-fried snow peas and/or dried mushrooms. To prepare, remove the strings from the snow pea pods. Soak the dried mushrooms in water for 20 minutes and remove the stems. Use in the recipe in place of the leeks.

Candied Banana Fritters

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

5 bananas, firm and not overripe
4 cups oil for deep-frying, or as needed
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 – 6 tablespoons white sesame seeds, according to taste*

Preparation:

Preparing and Deep-frying the bananas:
1. Cut the bananas into 1 1/2 inch lengths (about 5 pieces per banana).
2. Combine the egg and the water, and then stir into the flour to make a batter.
3. Heat the oil for deep-frying to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a fork to dip each banana slice into the batter, roll it around and coat it with the batter. (If needed, push the banana off the fork with your finger, then use the fork to push the banana around in the batter to recoat it. Respear it with the fork).
4. Carefully add a few slices of battered banana into the hot oil. Deep-fry, until they are golden brown and the batter is crispy (about 3 minutes). Remove the banana slices with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Caramelizing the bananas:
Note: Since the caramelized sugar starts hardening and becomes difficult to work with quite quickly, it’s easiest to caramelize half the bananas at a time:
1. Fill 2 bowls with ice cold water and several ice cubes, and place in the freezer while preparing the sugar syrup.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil on low-medium heat, then add 3/4 cup sugar, stirring constantly until it turns a golden brown (about 5 minutes). Be careful not to burn the sugar. Remove the wok from the heat and stir in half the sesame seeds. Set out the ice bath.
3. Working quickly, use a fork to place a banana slice in the sugar syrup mixture and turn to coat it in the syrup. Place the banana in the ice water for several seconds, until the sugar coating has hardened. Place the banana on a sheet of wax paper. Continue with the remainder of the banana slices. If the syrup starts to cool and harden, heat again on low heat, stirring constantly, until it is liquid.
4. Caramelize the second half of the bananas, repeating steps 2 and 3 and using the second ice bath.
*If you like, feel free to use black sesame seeds, which are thought to help prevent hair from graying.

Butter Prawns

Curry leaves lend an Indian influence to this Malaysian seafood recipe.

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound tiger prawns, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup oil, for poaching prawns
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 sprig curry leaves, or to taste (each sprig has about 16 leaves)
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon chili paste with garlic, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preparation:

Rinse the prawns under warm running water and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the shells from the prawns but leave on the tails.

Heat 1 cup oil to 350 degrees. When the oil is hot, add the prawns. Briefly cook the prawns in the hot oil until they turn pink (about 1 minute). Remove and drain on paper towels.

Melt the butter in a wok or heavy frying pan over medium-high to high heat. Add the curry leaves. Cook briefly, then stir in the oil-poached prawns, Chinese rice wine, sugar, and chile paste.

Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add the coconut milk. Heat through. Taste and sprinkle with black pepper, if desired. To serve, garnish the butter prawns with the chopped cilantro leaves.

Each serving contains: Calories 354, 2 g Carbohydrates, 19 g Protein, 30 g Fat, 237 mg Cholesterol, trace Fibre, 210 mg Sodium, 210 mg Potassium.

Bow Ties

Children love this sweet treat. For a more "adult friendly" version, prepare and deep-fry the bow ties, then lightly dust with icing sugar.
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 package egg roll wrappers (4 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches - each wrapper makes 2 bow ties)
Syrup:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
Other:
4 - 6 cups oil for deep-frying, as needed

Preparation:

Lay out a wrapper so that the longer (5 1/2 inch) sides are on the top and bottom, and the shorter (4 1/2 inch) sides on the left and right. Cut each egg roll wrapper from top to bottom into 4 equal pieces.
Using a paring knife, cut a 1/2 inch slit in the center of each piece. Using 2 pieces, one laid on top of the other, make a knot like a bow tie. (Fold one end of the piece on top and thread it through the slit. Turn over, fold, and thread through the other way. Open the folded ends before deep-frying).
Heat wok and add oil. Deep-fry the bow ties until golden brown, about 5 at a time. Drain on paper towels or a tempura rack if you have one.
Boil the syrup ingredients in a pot on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Dip the bow ties into the boiling syrup (if the syrup isn't boiling the bow ties will be too sweet), and drain well. Set aside to harden. Serve cold. (The bow ties can be stored in an air-tight container).

Hawaiian Poultry Recipes - Hawaiian Mochi Fried Chicken

The author writes: "This Island version of fried chicken is named for the rice flour with which it is made. It is also enhanced by the sugar, soy and green onions which go into the egg batter."

Yields about 40 pieces
Ingredients:

2 pounds boned chicken
1/2 cup mochiko flour (glutinous rice flour - available in Asian markets)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
1 stalk of green onions, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
Preparation:

Bone the chicken and cut into plump finger-size nuggets and set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken. Marinate overnight.

Deep-fry at 350 degrees, keeping the pieces from sticking together. Drain the nuggets of excess oil.

Serve mochi chicken as a main dish with fried rice, potato salad, or macaroni salad, as you would any other fried chicken. It is also great as an appetizer because it is a perfect finger food.

Suggested dipping sauces: pineapple or mustard sauce, hot mustard, or sweet and sour sauce.

Deep-Frying Questions and Answers

1. Do I need to use a wok for deep-frying?
No. Some people feel safer sticking with a deep-fat fryer. If you do use a wok make sure it is securely in place - flat-bottomed woks work best for electric ranges; round bottomed for gas stoves. (Make sure the round bottomed wok is securely in place in the wok stand).

2. How do I put the food into the wok?
Carefully sliding in the food will prevent splattering. Also, add ingredients in small amounts and don't overcrowd the wok. Overcrowding will lower the temperature and may lead to splattering or spillage.

3. What is a good temperature for deep-frying?
It depends on the recipe, but most suggest you heat the oil to somewhere between 350 degrees and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (Partly this depends on the size of the food being cooked, as larger items can be deep-fried at a lower temperature). Remember, though, the temperature will drop slightly when you put in the food.

4. What type of oil should I use for deep-frying?
Peanut oil is good, as it has a high smoking point and thus does not burn easily even at high temperatures. Vegetable oils such as canola and corn oil are also good choices. Don't use sesame oil - it doesn't have a high enough smoking point. Neither does olive oil - besides, it's too expensive given the high quantities needed for deep-frying. Chinese recipes used to call for lard, but most don't anymore because of the fat content.

5. How much oil should I add?
Most recipes will call for a specific amount of oil, although some just list "oil for deep-frying," under the ingredients, while others give a range such as 2 to 4 cups. How much oil to add depends on the item being deep-fried. Make sure the food is completely submerged, but allow space at the top of the wok for the oil level to rise when the food is dropped in.

6. How can I tell when the oil is hot enough?
You can always go the traditional route and use a wooden chopstick to check the oil - it's hot enough when bubbles form all around the object. However, it takes a bit of practice to know just when the oil reaches the right temperature. Add to that the fact that you need to adjust for a drop in temperature when placing the food in the wok, and the novice is better off relying on a deep-fry thermometer. If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer a candy thermometer will work also.

7. How can I reduce splattering?
The food you are going to deep-fry should be at room temperature. This reduces the drop in the temperature of the oil when you put it in, lessening the chance of splattering. You might want to dry the food with a paper towel before adding it. If the food to be deep-fried is in a sauce, use a slotted spoon to let it drain before adding it to the wok. Similarly, if the food is batter-coated, make sure all the excess batter has dripped off before placing it in the hot oil.

8. What if the recipe calls for the food to be deep-fried twice?
This is optional, but it does give the food a crisp coating. The difference in texture between the crisp coating and the juicy interior makes a nice contrast. Make sure to recheck the oil temperature before you add the food back into the wok.

9. Can I reuse cooking oil?
Yes, you can reuse cooked oil several times. You'll know it has gone bad when it starts smoking at normal temperatures or the color darkens.

10. How can I reduce the amount of fat?
First, by keeping the temperature up. Food cooked at too low a temperature will be greasy. Secondly, by not overcrowding the wok, which lowers the temperature, again leading to greasy food. Finally, using a wok actually helps - the unique shape of the wok means that you use less oil to cook with than is the case with a deep-fat fryer.