Prepare delicious Chinese take-out food with Mama Li’s best secret recipes! Perfect for Chinese New Year!

Dumplings with Peanut Sauce

Serves: about 40 pieces | Preparation time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1½ cups Napa cabbage, shredded
• 4 tablespoons bamboo shoots, shredded
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 40-50 round dumpling wrappers
• Egg wash for sealing (1 egg beaten with 1-2 tablespoons of water)

Spicy Peanut Sauce

• ½ cup smooth organic peanut butter,
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili paste
• 1 pinch hot chili pepper flakes

Directions

1. Warm 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add the green onions, Napa cabbage, and bamboo shoots. Sauté until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let cool down for a few minutes.
2. Add the vegetable mixture to the raw ground pork. Mix well.
3. Place 1 teaspoon to 1½ teaspoon of the pork filling onto one half of the wrapper. Seal the dumpling by brushing lightly with some egg wash on the edges. Press lightly to seal. Pleat if desired.
4. You can cook the dumplings by either steaming (preferable for added flavors) or boiling them.
5. When boiling, add them to the pot only when the water has started boiling. Let them boil for about 12 minutes.
6. If you are using a bamboo steamer, place cabbage, bok choy, or large lettuce leaves at the bottom of the steamer. It will prevent the dumplings from sticking to the bottom. Arrange the dumpling so they do not touch. Steam for 15 minutes.
7. You can also fry them after they have been boiled or steamed for added flavor.
8. To make the peanut sauce, combine ingredients in a blender, mix until smooth. Add some more water if necessary for the desired consistency.
9. Serve dumplings with peanut sauce, warm.

 

Chinese Spare Ribs

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Marinating time: 8 hours + (overnight) | Cook Time: 1hr 5 minute

Ingredients

• 1 slab pork spareribs, about 4 or 5 pounds, sliced into individual ribs
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup sherry
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons chili garlic paste
• 4 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1¼ teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• 1½ teaspoons sesame oil

Directions

• Place ribs in a large stockpot and cover completely with water, plus an extra inch. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for at least one hour. Meat should be tender and close to falling off the bone. Remove ribs from water and allow them to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients. Split the marinade in two. Reserve half in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Place cooled ribs into the other half of the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
• Let ribs rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat broiler or grill.
• If using a broiler, transfer ribs to a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush liberally with remaining marinade and broil or grill for 5-7 minutes or until hot and just beginning to crisp around the edges. Turn over the ribs after 3 minutes. Brush with marinade and continue cooking for 2-4 more minutes.
• Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy immediately.

 

Chicken Lo Mein

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound Chinese egg noodles
• 2 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup oyster mushrooms, chopped
• 5 green onions, sliced, greens part reserved for garnish
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon peanut (or other preferred) oil

Directions

• Begin by cooking noodles: In a large sauce pan or stock pot, bring water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until firm, approximately 5 minutes. Check for doneness along the way, as cooking times may vary depending on thickness. Drain and rinse with cold water. Return noodles to pot, and toss gently with sesame oil. Set aside.
• Heat a wok over high heat and add oil to coat pan.
• Add crushed red pepper to the pan, tossing around until fragrant. Add chicken, ginger, soy sauce, sherry, salt, and cornstarch. Cook, tossing gently, for 2 minutes.
• Add shiitake mushrooms, white parts of the green onions and cabbage, cook for two more minutes until chicken begins to brown and cabbage wilts slightly. Remove chicken mixture from pan and set aside.
• Add a bit more oil to the hot pan before adding noodles. Toss noodles in the hot oil for no more than 1 minute. Add the chicken mixture back into the pan and toss gently until heated through.
• Garnish with green onions, if desired.
• Serve immediately

 

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• ⅔ cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• ½ pound Chinese roast pork, cooked, shredded, or diced
• ½ cup small shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 3 green onions, sliced, whites and greens separated
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce or ponzu
• 4-5 cups cooked rice
• 1½ tablespoons peanut (or other preferred) oil

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
2. Add eggs and cook until just set, cut into small pieces while cooking. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add garlic and vegetables to pan, and cook for 4 minutes, tossing gently while cooking.
4. Add remaining oil and shrimp to the pan, and cook until they begin to turn pink and look done. Add pork, remaining oil, and egg back into the pan, tossing gently to incorporate. Cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add rice and soy sauce to pan. Cook rice, tossing gently until well incorporated and rice begins to toast very slightly, approximately 3-4 minutes.
6. Serve immediately, garnishing with green onions if desired.

Note: for best results, cook rice a day ahead of time or use leftover rice.

 

Szechuan Beef

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound flat iron steak (cut into very thin strips against the grain)
• 2 carrots, julienne
• 1 celery stalk, julienne
• ½ small red bell pepper, julienne
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 4 green onions, white part only, julienne
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 3 teaspoons chili sauce
• 6 tablespoons peanut oil for stir-frying, or as needed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn
• Rice for serving

Directions

1. In a small dry pan, toast the Szechuan peppercorns until fully aromatic, approximately 2-3 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, add chili sauce and hoisin sauce. Mix and set aside.
3. Heat pan or wok on high heat, and add a tablespoon of peanut oil. Let the oil warm for about 30 seconds. When the oil is hot, add carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes and remove from heat. Place vegetables on a plate and reserve.
4. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons of peanut oil and add steak. Stir fry for about ten minutes or until the steak is dark brown and sizzles.
5. Splash with the sherry once the steak is done.
6. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the reserved hoisin sauce mixture, ginger, salt, and green onions. Turn heat down to medium-high. Stir fry for just under a minute.
7. Add carrots back into the pan and Szechuan peppercorns. Simmer for about 2 minutes.
8. Serve with rice.

 

Chinese Doughnuts

Makes: 12 | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup milk
• ⅓ cup butter, cubed
• ⅓ cup butter
• ¾ cup milk
• Oil for frying
• Granulated sugar for dusting

Directions

1. In a medium-sized bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Using your hands, add butter to the flour mixture and incorporate until crumbly but with no large clumps.
3. Add milk and mix until a firm dough forms.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured working surface and knead just enough to form an elastic ball. Do not over-knead the dough in this stage.
5. In a wok or pan large enough for frying, heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat.
6. Shape dough pieces into golf ball-sized balls. Flatten slightly, not applying too much pressure.
7. Fry in small batches, not overcrowding the pan. Slowly lower doughnut into oil and fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes, turning once.
8. Remove doughnuts from oil and dust in sugar.
9. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s Best Chinese Take-out Recipes from Mama Li’s Kitchen. To get your copy of the cookbook, click on the cover or here.

To download or print any of these recipes, click here.