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Chinese Pickled Cucumber

Cucumbers are cut into spears (or smashed-and-torn for a rougher texture), salted heavily in a colander 30 minutes to weep, then patted dry. A brine of rice vinegar, sugar, light soy, water, sliced ginger, Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chillies brings to a gentle simmer just to dissolve the sugar; cools to room temperature. The drained cucumber goes into a jar; the cooled brine pours over to submerge; refrigerated for 1 hour minimum (overnight ideal). Eats cold straight from the jar.

Sides 15 minutes Serves6

General Tso’s Chicken

This iconic American-Chinese dish combines deep-fried chicken with a sweet, spicy, and slightly tangy sauce. General Tso's chicken exemplifies the bold flavours of outside China Chinese cooking, where heat from dried chillies, sweetness from sugar, and complexity from vinegar create a sauce that is bold yet balanced. Restaurant-quality results require proper oil temperature and crispy, well-coated chicken.

Chinese 20 minutes Serves4

Ginger and Chilli Sauce for Sashimi

A vibrant, aromatic sauce that showcases the clean heat of fresh chilli balanced with pungent ginger and umami-rich soy. Hot oil poured over the ingredients creates a fragrant, warming sauce that is the perfect accompaniment to pristine raw fish.

Sauce Spicy 20 minutes Serves8

Kung Pao Shrimp

Kung pao (gongbao) shrimp is the seafood cousin of the classic Sichuan gongbao jiding, named for the 19th-century governor-general Ding Baozhen whose title was Gong Bao. Where the chicken version uses diced meat, the shrimp version keeps the prawns whole or halved so they curl into bright pink commas around the chillies and peanuts. The flavour profile is the signature Sichuan "lychee" balance: a touch of sweetness from sugar, sourness from black vinegar, salt and umami from soy, and the warm tingle (ma la) of toasted Sichuan peppercorn paired with the smoky bite of dried er jing tiao chillies. This is a fast dish, fundamentally a wok exercise: every ingredient must be prepped and lined up before the heat goes on, because once the chillies hit the oil you have maybe ninety seconds before everything is overcooked. Difficulty is moderate for a home cook with a working wok and high burner; the trick is keeping the chillies dark red and fragrant without scorching them black, and pulling the shrimp out the moment they curl. Served over plain rice it is one of the most rewarding ten-minute meals in the repertoire.

Chinese 28 minutes Serves3-4

Mapo Tofu (Vegetarian)

Silken tofu poaches briefly in salted water (firms it up so it doesn't break). Dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrate and chop fine. Doubanjiang fries in oil until the oil reddens; mushrooms, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes follow. Stock loosens; tofu joins gently; cornflour slurry thickens. Sichuan peppercorn dust at the table.

Chinese 30 minutes Serves3-4

Sambal Kecap

Sambal kecap is deceptively simple yet deeply flavorful, a sweet-spicy Indonesian dipping sauce that represents the nation's love of contrasting flavors. Kecap manis, the sweet soy sauce that gives this sambal its name and character, provides a rich molasses-like sweetness that's balanced by raw chilli heat and garlic pungency. This is a dip meant for protein: grilled satay skewers, fried chicken, grilled seafood. The sweetness of the kecap contrasts with smoky, charred meat while the heat cuts through richness. This sambal appears on countless Indonesian tables as a standard condiment alongside meals.

Sambal 5 minutes Serves175

Shredded Beef with Chillies

The essence of this recipe lies in knife technique: the beef must be cut into very thin strips for authentic texture and rapid cooking. A brief freeze makes slicing easier and more uniform. The result is a dish of tender, fragrant beef balanced with fresh ginger, crisp vegetables, and bold chilli heat.

Chinese 15 minutes Serves2

Sichuan Chicken

This straightforward Sichuan preparation showcases the region's bold use of chillies and spices. The technique is simple: season, rest, and cook in layers, building flavour as you go. Oyster sauce adds depth, while seven spices (chilli power, Sichuan pepper, salt, garlic, ginger, pepper) create a full-bodied dish.

Chinese 10 minutes Serves4

Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans

Beans dry-fry in just a thin slick of oil over high heat for 6-8 minutes, they need to blister and wrinkle, not stay green and snappy. Aromatics, garlic, ginger, dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns and zhacai (Sichuan preserved mustard tuber), flash-cook. Beans return; soy and rice wine glaze; sesame oil to finish.

Chinese 25 minutes Serves3-4

Sichuan Stir-Fried Chicken with Yacai (Jimi Yacai)

Jimi yacai (literally "chicken rice yacai") is a Sichuan home-cook classic that turns a humble jar of preserved mustard greens into something extraordinary. Yacai is one of Sichuan's "four famous pickles", produced in Yibin in the south of the province where mustard stems are salted, fermented and aged with sugar and spices for months until they turn glossy black and intensely savoury-sweet. Diced finely and tossed with chicken cut "rice-sized" (the literal meaning of jimi), the result eats like a savoury condiment as much as a dish, a few spoonfuls over plain rice are enough to keep a meal going. The technique is straightforward but rewards finesse: the chicken is velveted with cornflour and Shaoxing wine for tenderness, the yacai is rinsed and then dry-toasted to wake up its aroma, and everything finishes with sliced fresh chillies for colour and a gentle warming heat rather than mala fire. Difficulty for a home cook is low; the dish comes together in under ten minutes once the chicken is diced. Traditionally eaten with steamed rice or wowotou (cornmeal buns), it is also superb as a noodle topping.

Chinese 23 minutes Serves4

Sizzling Rice Prawns

This is a dramatic dish sure to earn you compliments. Moderately easy to make but requiring organisation and some Chinese cooking experience. The key to success is that both the prawn sauce mixture and rice cake must be fairly hot, this creates a dramatic, theatrical sizzle when they combine. A showstopping presentation perfect for entertaining.

Chinese 22 minutes Serves6-8

Spiced Chinese Leaves

Spiced Chinese leaves is a quick stir-fried side dish that transforms the mild, delicate flavour of Chinese leaves with a robust sauce of ginger, garlic, chilli, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The high-heat cooking method brings out a savoury depth that makes it a perfect accompaniment to Asian-style mains.

Sides 15 minutes Serves2-4

Spicy Chicken with Peanuts

This is a classic western Chinese dish better known in China as Gongbao chicken (or Kung Pao chicken). Named after Chinese official Ding Baozhen, Governor of Sichuan province in the nineteenth century, it represents the region's bold approach to flavour: spicy, slightly sour, sweet, and savoury all at once. The combination of roasted peanuts and dried chilli creates an unforgettable sauce.

Chinese 17 minutes Serves4

Spicy Peanut Balls

Spicy peanut balls are deep-fried rice balls seasoned with garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce, and lime, then coated in chopped peanuts for a satisfying crunch. They make an excellent snack or starter, and pair naturally with a chilli dipping sauce.

Snacks 15 minutes Serves16

Stir-Fried Beef with Orange

This is a northern Chinese beef speciality that lends itself to using dried tangerine peel. The Chinese always use peel that has been dried, and the older the peel, the more prized the flavour. The combination creates a sophisticated, citrus-forward sauce that balances the richness of beef beautifully.

Chinese 12 minutes Serves4

Thai Cucumber Salad

A refreshing, vibrant Thai salad featuring ribboned cucumbers in a tangy ginger-lime dressing with fresh coriander and chilli heat. Its bright, sour notes cut through rich curries perfectly while remaining light and crisp.

Sides 10 minutes Serves4

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