Chinese cooking technique: Thicken
Thicken, or thickening, refers to the use of cornstarch as a part of the process of preparing a Chinese dish. Cornstarch is a very commonly used condiment in Chinese cooking. When used properly, it can really make your presentation stand out by adding a smooth and glazed texture. Here are some pointers.
- Follow the recipe as given
- Watch the timing
Too much cornstarch can make the dish too pasty. Too little would make it too thin. After cooking a particular dish the first time, you can use the original recipe as a guide to increase or decrease the amount of cornstarch to add to your dish to your liking the next time (even though we are confident that you'll love the recipe we have here on our website :-) )..
Do not add cornstarch (and water) until the dish is cooked. And you must stir gently and quickly once it is added to the dish, as it tends lump up if not stirred immediately.
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