While they are more commonly found in long-simmering dishes such as soups and stews, dried ingredients are regularly used in stir-fries. Depending on where you live, it may require a trip to the Asian market or going online and surfing the Web to buy them. But you will find it is well worth the effort to have these items in your culinary repertoire.

Dried Chinese mushrooms are ubiquitous in Chinese cuisine, lending a rich flavor that fresh mushrooms lack. Like other dried ingredients, dried mushrooms need to be reconstituted through soaking in hot water. The strained soaking liquid from these mushrooms is frequently added to the sauce.

Dried lily buds are the dried buds of unopened tiger lilies. The dried lily buds lend a yellow color and earthy flavor to soups and stir-fries. Also called golden needles because of their length (about three inches), dried lily buds are found in the popular restaurant dishes mu shu pork and hot-and-sour soup. Like dried mushrooms, the dried lily buds need to be reconstituted in water before using.

Dried shrimp are tiny shrimp that have been preserved in salty water and dried. The tiny shrimp add a strong salty flavor to dishes such as Shrimp and Spinach Stir-Fry.