Wok
Yangzhou Fried Rice
This simple, delicious dish hails from China's Shanghai region. It's a great way to use up leftover rice—if your rice is already cooked, you'll need 3 cups of it.
By Shirley Cheng
Ma–Po Tofu (Spicy Bean Curd with Beef)
This spicy Sichuan dish gets its layers of flavor from two different types of heat: fiery chiles and mildly numbing Sichuan peppercorns.
By Shirley Cheng
Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts
By Rozanne Gold
Steamed Chicken With Xiao Fan's Special Sauce
Xiao Fan's spicy sauce will transform not only this steamed chicken but also plain rice, noodles, tofu, even grilled steak. The sauce can be doubled and leftovers chilled for a week. To reheat, add a bit of broth or water and simmer for about a minute.
By Fan Nianfeng
Spicy Beef Curry
The curries that are sold in the markets of southern Thailand inspired this heavily spiced dish. Chef Boetz says this delicious main course is a hybrid of an Indian and a Thai curry. The use of dried spices (coriander, cardamom, cumin) is common in Indian curries; coconut milk and fresh, aromatic ingredients (cilantro, lemongrass, galangal) are often used in Thai curries.
By Martin Boetz
Stir-Fried Asparagus and Snake Beans
Fish sauce and dried shrimp flavor the sweet, spicy, and bright chile jam used to glaze this side dish with deeply savory notes.
By Martin Boetz
Beef and Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry
You don't need an endless supply of ingredients to create a flavor-packed stir-fry. Here, flank steak and fresh Napa cabbage come together without fuss, thanks to a Chinese sauce that requires little work.
By Andrea Albin
Smoked-Oyster Sticky Rice Stuffing in Lotus Leaf
Beware—once you've had a few bites of this rice, you'll surely be back for seconds and thirds. Loaded with bits of treasure—smoked oysters, meaty mushrooms, Chinese sausage that tastes almost candied—the rice itself has an amazing chew that exemplifies the Chinese genius for varying textures in a meal. Though the lotus-leaf wrapping is optional, the rice gains a beguiling aroma, suggestive of tea, if you do use it—and the drama of unwrapping the stuffing at the table, like a lovely present, shouldn't be underestimated.
By Lillian Chou
Shrimp and Veggie Stir-Fry
By Lesley Porcelli
Duck Breast with Roasted Peaches and Walnut-Parsley Fried Rice
Chef Charlie Palmer shared this recipe for one of his signature dishes at his Dry Creek Kitchen restaurant in Sonoma, California, exclusively with Epicurious. Crisp-skinned, juicy duck breasts are accented with gingery fried rice and sweet roasted peaches for a stunning dish that's surprisingly simple to make. Note that the recipe makes more than enough soy-lime emulsion for the fried rice. Leftover emulsion, which will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days, can be used in stir-fries and salads or as a sauce for tuna tartare or dumplings.
By Charlie Palmer
Pork-Belly Buns
We knew Chang was something special the minute we tasted his signature dish. He plays with the classic Chinese pork bun, retaining its pillowy white wrapping, adding crisp cucumbers and scallions, and transforming it into an American original with pork belly. Make them at home, and the first bite will prove they are worth the effort.
By David Chang
Singapore Hawker Rice Noodles
Char Kway Teow
These slightly sweet, salty rice noodles, with lots of garlic and a hint of heat, are a popular street food in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. There's a bit of chopping involved, but the ingredients are remarkably easy to put together.
Indonesian Fried Noodles
Bahmi goreng
You'll be hard-pressed to refuse seconds of this irresistible stir-fry. Tender Chinese egg noodles, crisp green snow peas, and Chinese long beans mingle with plenty of rich, garlicky sauce. Cubes of tofu and shredded omelet add even more texture.
Singapore "Carrot Cake"
Once a favorite breakfast of the Chinese, this dish might more accurately be called a daikon scramble. But the Chinese words for carrot and daikon are almost the same, and "cake" refers to the way the rice flour binds the ingredients.
By Lillian Chou
Quick Beef with Broccoli
Who needs takeout? You can make tender sirloin beef tips and broccoli in a velvety soy glaze just as fast yourself.
By Lillian Chou
Stir-Fried Chicken with Bell Peppers and Snow Cabbage
Pungent and salty, preserved snow cabbage is a great flavor-booster in this fresh-tasting stir-fry.
By Grace Young
Crystal Shrimp
Repeated salting and rinsing give this shrimp a firm texture that's said to be crystal-like. Serve with steamed rice.
By Grace Young
Five-Spice Tofu Stir-Fry with Carrots and Celery
A serrated kinpira peeler ($15 online at amazon.com) makes quick work of a carrot-and-celery julienne.
By Grace Young
Pork and Noodle Soup with Shiitake and Snow Cabbage
Cutting the pork is easiest using a cleaver or large chef's knife: Slice thick crosswise pieces, stack them, and then cut matchstick-size pieces.
By Grace Young