How long does it take to cook a basic Chinese meal?

The time it takes to prepare a meal is completely dependent on what is being prepared. Some meals can take 10 minutes start to finish while others can take 30 minutes or over 3 or 4 hours. It also depends on what you use to cook it. If you use a oven perhaps to cook meat, it might take 10 min, but if you use a stove, it might take 20 min, but it might be more juicy and tender. So it really does vary.