Basic skills for Asian cooking - Mincing and julienning

Basic skills - How to mince a ginger

Chop ginger in to mince. Ginger has strings inside along with its growing direction. Unless you want to mince all the piece, you slice them in a right-angle to the string direction. Take off the first bits out (skin bits) then cut 2 of 2 mm slices. Cut off the skin part, place one over another slice, then slice from one side to another to make 2 mm threads. Turn them 90 degrees then cut them into cubes.

Basic skill - How to mince a leak stalk

Place the leak stalk on a cutting board, hold the greener side of the stalk then cut a slit at the center along the leak stalk leaving but where you are holding without cutting it to pieces. Roll the stalk for 90 degree, do it again. Then make additional slits between the slits - so it will have a cut looks like an asterisk when you look the leak from the bottom. Now slice them in about 2-3mm from bottom side. Keep repeating this until all minced.

Basic skill - How to mince a dried Shitake mushroom

1. In a small soup cup, place the dried Shitake mushroom stems down, add a pinch of sugar (not included in the list of Ingredients) then pour boiling hot water to cover the Shitake as it can float. Leave it aside for about 15 min. Cut off the stems when it become enough soft (in about 5 min).

* This preparation method is the quick way of restraining the Shitake - it is good enough when you are using it for stir fry etc. Otherwise it needs to be in cold water for over 1 hour - that drains better aromatic juiced water and complete Shitake taste.

2. Once the Shitake mushroom is softened till around where was the stalks, then take them out from water, squeeze them and drain out all liquid. Place them one over another one on a cutting board, slice them in about 5mm threads. Turn them 90 degrees and cut them into cubes.

Basic skill - How to julienne a leak stalk

White stalk julienne is generally used in fresh e.g. for salad.
Place the leak on a cutting board, cut them in about 5cm length stalk. Cut it in half along with the stalk, then place the flat side down, slice them from once side to other side.

Basic skill - How to julienne a leak stalk - white stalk

White stalk julienne is generally used in fresh e.g. for salad.
Place the leak on a cutting board, cut them in about 5cm length stalk. Cut it in half along with the stalk, take off the center few layers if it is green, then place the flat side down, slice them from once side to other side.

Basic skill - How to julienne a carrot

Skin and slice carrot in diagonal direction. Roughly pile them in line then slice from one side to other side - key is to hold the knife side by the back of left fingers (not finger tips!) then slide the holding left finger slowly to left along with the knife moving to slice.