Be it dim sums, bok choys or marinated tofu, I love my Chinese food to the hilt and even more if it is stir-fried. I love those stir-fry sauces, which is why I have learned how to make them from scratch. Here are a few of those which you can try at home. Soy-Sesame Stir-fry Sauce This sauce works wonders for ginger chicken stir-fry that can be served with rice. You can make a cupful of it in 7 minutes with,

• Soy sauce, ¼ cup
• Chicken broth, ¼ cup
• Toasted sesame oil, 2 tsp.
• Rice wine vinegar, 2 tsp.
• Pepper flakes, 1 tsp. (red, hot variety)
• Sugar, 1 tsp.

Procedure Put all the ingredients in a mixer and blend for 2 minutes and your stir-fry condiment will be ready. Vegan Thai Peanut Tofu Stir-fry Sauce Use this with teriyaki marinated tofu to be served with noodles. You must have,

• Soy sauce, 3 tbsp.
• Creamy peanut butter, 2 tbsp. (softened)
• Rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp.
• Peanuts, ⅛ cup
• Brown sugar, 1 tbsp.
• Garlic powder, 1 tsp.
• Honey, ½ tsp.
• Ginger, ⅛ tsp. (ground)
• Cayenne pepper, to taste

Procedure Simply, put all the things together in a bowl and whisk until you are left with a condiment with a creamy, frothy consistency. When you are stir-frying the tofu, pour this condiment right at the end and toss to cake the tofu well. Coconut Milk Stir-fry Sauce To make this simple stir-fry sauce, you must gather,

• Coconut milk, ½ cup
• Soy sauce, 2 tbsp.
• Peanut butter, 2 tbsp.
• Lime juice, 2 tbsp.
• Sesame oil, 1 tbsp.
• Peanuts, 1 tbsp. (chopped)

Procedure Put together all the ingredients, except peanuts, in a bowl and whip well. When you have a smooth sauce, add the peanuts and mix them with the sauce. Hoisin Stir-fry Sauce This semi-thick, dark brown sweet and spicy condiment can be used as a dip as well. Gather,

• Chinese-style hot sauce, 20 drops
• Soy Sauce, 4 tbsp.
• Black bean paste, 2 tbsp. (peanut butter can also be used instead of this)
• Honey, 1 tbsp.
• White vinegar, 2 tsp.
• Sesame seed oil, 2 tsp.
• Garlic powder, ⅛ tsp.
• Pepper, ⅛ tsp.

Procedure Put all the items into a spacious bowl and employ your hands to do the mixing together. You have to keep mixing it until you have a smooth brown sauce with a reddish tinge at hand. Chinese Stir-fry Sauce To make ⅔ cup of this dark sauce, you need,

• Oyster sauce, ⅓ cup
• Chicken stock, ¼ cup
• Shao hsing wine, 1 tbsp.
• Chinese cooking wine or sweet sherry, 1 tbsp.
• Brown sugar, 2 tsp.
• Sesame oil, 1 tsp.

Procedure Again, just put everything together and stir until you have a uniform condiment. Even a kid can make this sauce, so there's no reason why you should look like an outsider. So, now you know 5 different sauces that you can make at home and incorporate anytime in easy stir-fry recipes of your choice. One of the biggest reasons for you to learn how to make these sauces is the fact that most of the ingredients required for these condiments are common larder items. Also, you can adjust the taste of the sauces, make them hotter, sweeter or tangier, as per your palate desires. So, try these sauces soon and let me know how you fared.