This is a classic of chinese home cooking. I still recall being absolutely in love with this as a child, I mean literal addition. I just ate it with noodles whenever I can and occasionally I’ll change it up and have it with rice. Since then I have found many more delicious things I love but this dish remains my first, that I can recall anyway.

Although mostly eaten at home, most restaurants will serve up some version of this too if you ask for it. However in restaurants, this dish is considered and often called a sauce, xī hóng shì jiàng (tomato sauce which incidentally is the same name for ketchup so b careful), and is usually served to be eaten with rice and/or noodles. I should mention it is very different banqueting in China to how we eat chinese food in the west were, at least I, order rice along with my main dishes and eat them together. In China however, the rice and noodles are only ordered after the main dishes are served. Often when I eat out in China, rice and noodles are never ordered as everyone is usually too full by this point. Soup is usually ordered (and left) to finish the evening.

I love this dish in the summer, somehow it always feels so fresh. I also have some fresh jubilee tomatoes which works wonderfully with this dish, as they are so juicy and sweet! You can use tinned tomatoes here but fresh ingredients really makes a difference in this case.

Ingredients

5 tomatoes (use juicy tomatoes for extra sauce)
3 spring onions, green part only finely chopped
1 thumb-sized ginger, finely chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 fresh finger chilli (optional)
2 medium eggs
2 tablespoon groundnut oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoon all purpose Kikkoman gf soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
3 tablespoon Sanchi gf soy sauce (dark soy sauce)

Utensils

1 small/medium wok

Methods  

1. Finely chop the garlic and ginger and roughly cut the spring onion into 3 cm chunks.
2. Place the wok and oil on a medium heat, then add the spring onion, ginger and garlic. Stir fry until the spring onion softens. 
3. In the meantime chop the tomatoes into 2 cm chunks.
4. Move everything up to one side of the wok and crack in 2 eggs.
5. Stir and scramble the eggs until cooked, then mix everything in the wok together.
6. Add the soy sauce and chillies then cook for 2 minutes.
7. Throw in the tomatoes and cook to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and cook slowly for another 10 minutes.
8. Serve and enjoy!

This is a good all purpose cooking mince which can be used and useful in many chinese dishes. It’s easy to make and gives instant flavour to any dish, plus it is delicious to eat just on its own (guilty), if you so choose.

I will often use this if I want to cook something quickly and it’s usually powerful enough to still give that depth of flavour. 

Ingredients

400 g pork mince (for best results use mince with 10% fat or more)
4 spring onions, green part only finely chopped
1 thumb-sized ginger, finely chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoon groundnut oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoon all purpose Kikkoman gf soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
5 tablespoon Sanchi gf soy sauce (dark soy sauce)

Utensils

1 medium non stick pan

Methods  

1. Prepare the spring onion, ginger and garlic.
2. Heat the oil in the pan until hot, then add the garlic and pork mince.Cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat until the mince has browned.
3. Add the ginger and spring onion and cook for a further 2 minutes.
4. Finally pour in the dark and light soy sauce and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Stir continuously.
5. When ready, place in a bowl or lunch box to be kept in the fridge for when necessary.

The use of cumin with beef and lamb originates from the Muslim populated regions of North-West China. It has been popularised through street vendors selling grilled meat skewers covered with cumin and chilli powder. Almost everywhere you go in China now, where there are street food, there will be the smell of cumin and lamb drifting through the air. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

This particular dish has been adopted and transformed by Sichuanese and Hunanese cooking style, and what emerges is something blindingly hot but utterly delicious! It perfectly captures the signature aroma and taste of those Uyghur street vendor grilled kebabs but with an extra kick. You have been warned!

Ingredients

400 g beef fillet steak (rump or braising steak are also fine)
3 spring onions, green part only finely chopped
1 thumb-sized ginger, finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 medium fresh stir fry chilli
2½ teaspoon cumin
3 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (this is hot, add or reduce to taste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
400 ml groundnut oil or vegetable oil
salt

For the marinade

1 tablespoon cornflour
1 salt
1 tablespoon all purpose Kikkoman gf soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
1 tablespoon Sanchi gf soy sauce (dark soy sauce)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (Shaoxing Wine if you’re not coeliac)
1 tablespoon water

Utensils

1 medium non stick pan
1 large bowl
1 jug

Methods  

1. Finely chop the spring onion, ginger and garlic and set aside. Remove the stalk and seeds from the fresh chillies, then finely chop.
2. Cut the beef into thin slices (4 x 3 cm) or strips (4 x 1.5 cm) across the grain to give the meat a more tender texture. I’m using fillet steak but other cuts are fine too, it actually doesn’t matter too much.
3. Add the marinade mixture to the steak in a large bowl, and mix well.
4. Heat the groundnut oil on a high heat until hot, then add the beef and stir. Remove once the pieces separate, drain and set aside.
5. Pour away all but 3 tablespoons of groundnut oil and return to a high heat. Add the ginger, garlic fresh chillies, chilli flakes and cumin then stir briefly. You should get an amazing aroma at this point.
6. Add the beef into the pan and salt to taste.
7. Sizzle for 1 minute, stir occasionally. Then add the spring onion and mix in well before removing from the heat.
8. Mix in sesame oil and serve!
9. Enjoy!