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I cook Asian food almost daily, and grew up in Asia, so a few tips:
Your stove burner will likely only put out maybe 10-15% of what wok stove will, so that's your first hurdle. Using a heavy wok (or other pan) that you can pre-heat to super hot before starting and that will retain heat when food is added will help. Some burners don't have gas jets in the center, so the center of the pan will be cooler. You'll have to experiment a little.
Prep everything before you start. Everything. If it takes more than 2 seconds to add any ingredient to the pan, you are not ready.
Cook in small quantities.
Use quality ingredients sourced from an Asian market. Buy nothing "oriental" from a regular grocery store. Consider the sodium levels on soy sauces, fish sauces, etc. Taste them all, you'll find a favorite. Some are better for cooking, others better as condiments.
Make all you own stocks. Do not use a pre-packaged stock. Buy good rice. Thai jasmine rices work for me.
Don't over eat. You can make all the healthy food you want but if you eat a ton of it, you'll gain weight.
Use cookbooks that are used in Asian cooking schools. You'll probably have to buy them online. The crap you get from your normal bookstore is, well, crap. Start with a crap recipe, you won't like it. Stick to the recipe quantities, measure carefully.
If you get the pan super-hot, then throw in the aromatics first, like most recipes suggest, you'll not always like the outcome. Garlic, in particular, burns quickly. Learn to add it when you can control how long it's cooked, before the addition of another ingredient cools the pan.
Cook the rice an hour before the rest of the meal, so it is ready to eat when you finish the stir frying. You can cook rice in 10 minutes; it's better if it sits a while. Don't bother with a rice cooker.
JR
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