As we look ahead to the lunar new year (10 Feb), many of us may be searching for traditional ways to mark the occasion. In Chinese cultures, food plays an important role in ringing in the new year with particular dishes and food items symbolising a range of elements – from strength to an abundance of wealth.

In her new cookbook, Simply Chinese Feasts: Tasty Recipes For Friends And Family, TV presenter and author Suzie Lee invites readers to take a seat at her table to explore the “myriad Chinese celebrations, festivals and traditions, all of which centre around food and family”, reads the synopsis.

Among the recipes, Lee has included several recipes that are central to the lunar new year, including chow mein and moon-shaped dumplings, and we’ve shared three of our favourites for you below.

Lee says: “I am often asked for a noodle/chow mein dish, and this is my foolproof recipe for a very tasty chow mein to accompany other dishes or just on its own. It can be jazzed up with different meats and vegetables.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 350g dried egg noodles
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 small onion, finely sliced
• 150g bean sprouts
• 1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method

Prepare the noodles by rehydrating in cold water for at least 30 minutes until the strands are separable, then drain, pat dry and leave on top of some paper towels to remove excess water. (You can use fresh egg noodles too, if you wish.)

Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat, then fry off the onion and bean sprouts for two to three minutes. There will be a little bit of charring. 

Then add the rehydrated noodles to the wok/frying pan and fry for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the chicken or vegetable stock powder, salt, sugar and white pepper over the noodles, onions and bean sprouts, and toss together.

Add two tablespoons of dark soy sauce to the wok/pan, then fry for a further five minutes to give the noodles lots of flavour. Then drizzle the sesame oil around the edges of the wok to extract as much of its flavour as possible.

Top tip: Add leftover meats and vegetables to this dish to make it a full meal instead of just a side – it is so versatile.

Lee says: “Spring rolls, or chuan goon, are eaten around Chinese New Year and are a symbol of wealth and prosperity. The appearance of the golden spring rolls is likened to gold bars and this is very auspicious. Different meats and vegetables are used in traditional recipes, but I wanted to replicate our takeaway’s spring rolls as I love them. My dad gave me the list of ingredients, but not the measurements, so this is my version. You can use store-bought wrappers or make them from scratch yourself.”

Makes 12

Top tips

You can use leftover char siu, chicken, shiitake mushrooms or wood ear mushroom in the filling, as this is a very versatile recipe.

Freeze the spring rolls before you fry them, then cook from frozen next time you have a craving.

If you have any leftover wrappers, make another batch of filling for some more spring rolls, then freeze for future use.

To save on calories, place the spring rolls on a wire rack over a baking tray, spray or brush with oil and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C fan (400°F) for about 20–25 minutes. You can even place them in the air fryer, by preheating at 200°C (400°F) and cooking between five to eight minutes. They should be golden brown.

Ingredients

• vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 200g bean sprouts
• 100g tinned ham (such as Spam), cut into small cubes
• 100g Traditional Char Siu Pork (below) or chicken, cubed
• 100g prawns (shrimp), chopped into small pieces
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• pinch of salt
• pinch of sugar
• 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 heaped teaspoon five-spice powder
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce

For the wrappers:

• 12, roughly 25x25cm large, store-bought spring roll sheets
• 2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour, mixed with 4 tablespoons water to make a sealing paste

If making from scratch:

• 250g plain (all-purpose) flour
• 375ml water
• ½ teaspoon salt

Method

To make the filling, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan and fry off the carrot, onion and bean sprouts for a couple of minutes. Add the tinned ham, your choice of char siu or chicken, and prawns, then fry for another couple of minutes.

Add the pepper, salt, sugar, stock powder, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, five-spice powder and light soy sauce to the wok/pan, then simmer for another five minutes, until all the moisture has evaporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

You now prepare the spring roll wrappers in two ways, depending on whether you are using store-bought ones or making your own.

If using store-bought wrappers:

Rotate the wrapper square, so one of the points is facing toward you. Then add about four tablespoons of the filling in a log shape, about 2.5 cm away from the bottom point nearest to you. Fold the bottom point over the mixture into the middle, then fold first the right and then the left side over to create an envelope (make sure this is tight on the sides and at the bottom before you start rolling).

Then roll tightly into a cylindrical shape up to the furthest point away from you, using your finger to seal the spring roll with some flour paste.

Continue making the springs rolls in this way until all the mixture is used up.

If making the wrappers from scratch:

Mix all the wrapper ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk and then pour through a sieve and into another bowl.

Put a non-stick frying pan over the lowest heat for at least five minutes.

Use a pastry brush to apply the wrapper mixture quickly all over the bottom of the hot, dry pan until the surface is covered. Then increase the heat for about 30 seconds until the wrapper turns white. Remove the wrapper from the pan and place between a damp cloth to stop it drying out.

Wipe the pan clean with a damp cloth and repeat the process until you’ve used up all the wrapper mixture.

To cook the spring rolls, pour enough vegetable oil into a large saucepan, so it is double the height of the spring rolls. Heat the oil until hot. To test this, stick the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil: if bubbles start fizzing around the handle, it is hot enough to fry the spring rolls.

Carefully place three spring rolls in the pan and fry for about two minutes on each side until golden brown. If the spring rolls brown too quickly, reduce the heat to regulate the temperature.

Cook the spring rolls in batches, placing them on some paper towel to soak up the excess oil before serving.

Lee says: “Char means ‘fork’ and siu means ‘roast/ burn’, which is how char siu used to be cooked – on a fork over a large, open flame. The main traditional ingredient is the red fermented bean curd, which gives the pork its red colouring (the colour comes from the fermentation of the red yeast rice used to make the curd). It also has a depth of flavour that can be imitated by using oyster sauce and extra Shaoxing wine. Pork is eaten at celebratory times such as Chinese New Year as it symbolises strength, wealth and blessings.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the pork:

• pork shoulder (with some fat marbled through the meat)
• 1 kg honey, plus extra if needed
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

For the marinade:

• red fermented bean curd, mashed with 1 tablespoon of liquid from the jar
• 2–3 cubes hoisin sauce (80g)
• 40g of honey
• 30g black treacle
• 30g dark soy sauce
• 10g five-spice powder
• garlic, finely chopped about 1 large clove
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of red food colouring (optional)

Method

Make the marinade the night before you plan to cook. Place a bowl on top of a set of digital scales and put a sandwich bag in the bowl. Then measure all the marinade ingredients directly into the bag.

Slice the pork shoulder lengthways into thin, uniform pieces about 2.5 cm deep and 5–7.5 cm wide. Add the pork pieces to the bag and use your hands to massage the marinade into the meat. Place the bag flat on a baking tray, so the marinade covers all the meat, and keep in the fridge overnight.

The next day, when you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C fan (425°F).

Remove the marinated char siu pieces from the fridge and place on a grill tray lined with some tin foil to catch the drips. Pour the leftover marinade in the bag into a bowl and mix with three tablespoons of honey, to give you a really sticky glaze.

Roast the char siu in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove and baste with the glaze. Grill the char siu pieces for approximately five minutes, then use tongs to flip the pieces over and baste with more glaze.

Continue basting and turning the pieces until all sides are sticky and the characteristic burned/ charred bits appear. It will take 10–20 minutes to get the desired result, but less time if you have smaller char siu pieces. You need a maximum of about 40 minutes for perfect char siu.

Once you are happy, brush the char siu with honey on all sides to make it glisten.

Serve with rice or noodles, or add to countless other dishes to bulk them out.

Simply Chinese Feasts: Tasty Recipes for Friends And Family by Suzie Lee, £22.80 is out now

Images: © Lizzie Mayson; courtesy of publishers