Does it always take a long time to prepare the varied ingredients for an everyday Chinese dish?

It is a fallacy that Chinese cooking needs considerable work ahead of time, even if the cooking process is very quick. Really long preparation is required only for the grand, imperial dishes that few people bother to cook at home anyway.

However, organizing even a very simple meal, such as a stir-fry, is easier if some of the work is done beforehand. Slicing the meats in advance allows you to marinate them, giving a delicious flavor to the finished dish. Vegetables can be washed, dried, sliced and kept in a plastic bag (not soaking in water) until they are needed. Then you can relax, knowing the meal can be cooked in just a few minutes.