Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Boil

Scorched Garlic Soy Milk Ramen

by Leave a Comment

To Make Scorched Garlic Oil
Crush garlic cloves with a knife and fry the garlic in vegetable oil in a pot on medium-high heat until they become black. Turn off heat and let cool.
Finish making the scorched garlic oil by blending it with a food processor.

To Make Soy Milk Broth
Prepare the vegetables for the broth and toppings. Dice the onion finely.
Heat 1 tbsp of the scorched garlic oil in a medium-sized pot. After heated, add yellow onion, spring onion, white pepper and ginger powder, and cook together for 3 mins (don’t over-caramelize).
After 3 mins, add sesame seeds, mirin, miso paste, Lee Kum Kee Spicy Bean Sauce. Cook for a further 3 mins.
Finally, add soy milk and water. Bring broth up to a boil, and turn down the heat to simmer for 20 mins.

To Serve
While broth is simmering, cook noodles according to packet specifications.
Once the broth is done, taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Assemble the ramen bowl with toppings and drizzle with remaining scorched garlic oil.

Black Rice Sushi Burger with Cabbage Salad

by Leave a Comment

To Make Sushi Burger
Rinse rice well then add rice and water to saucepan. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30-40 mins until all the water is completely absorbed.
While the rice is cooking, add vinegar, sugar and salt to a small dish and microwave for 20-30 secs to dissolve completely. Set aside to cool.
Transfer the cooked hot rice to a large non-metal shallow bowl, sprinkle vinegar mixture, slice and toss the rice gently with a spatula to mix and cool.
Line small bowl with cling wrap. Place ⅓ to ½ cup cooled rice on plastic. Firm down, then cover with overhanging plastic.
Place a second layer of cling wrap over the first rice layer, add ⅓ cup rice. Firm down, and cover with overhanging plastic. This makes one top and bottom bun. Repeat for the number of people you are serving. Place in fridge to cool and firm up.

To Make Matcha Salt
Grind all ingredients coarsely in mortar and pestle. Set aside.

To Make Wasabi Aioli
In small bowl mix ingredients together. Set aside.

To Make Nashi and Cabbage Salad
In small bowl whisk together oils, sugar and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a larger bowl toss together red and green cabbage, nashi, carrot, spring onion and dressing. Set aside while making mushrooms. Drain before adding to burger.
Once salad is made, unwrap top and bottom pieces of sushi buns. Place in oiled air fryer with outer sides facing up. Brush with sesame oil. Cook 180°C for 5 mins, turn over cook further 2 mins. Remove and set aside until ready to serve and make the Hiratake Katsu.

To Make Hiratake Katsu:
Mix together all panko crumb ingredients in bowl.
Mix together all mushroom batter ingredients in second bowl.
Heat oil for deep frying in a medium saucepan.
Dip one mushroom leaf into mushroom batter, then roll in panko mix, pressing firmly.
Cook in hot oil until crispy and deep golden (approx 2 mins). Cook only 2-3 mushrooms at a time. Drain on paper towel.

To Assemble Burger
Lay lettuce leaves on base of bun.
Place 1-2 Katsu pieces on top, then a handful of drained Nashi and Cabbage Salad.
Add Matcha Salt and Wasabi Aioli to taste. Top with bun lid.
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and spring onion curls.

Thai Green Chicken Curry

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of cold water. Cook on medium heat using the rice absorption method for approximately 15 mins. Alternatively, use a rice cooker or preferred rice cooking method.
Whilst rice is cooking, chop the carrot into 1cm x 3cm sticks and slice broccoli into bite-sized florets. Remove the stalk from Cavolo Nero and slice thinly.
Cut banana capsicum in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and slice thinly. Reserve a small portion for garnish. Set all chopped vegetables aside.
Slice baby corn into halves and set aside.
On a separate board, slice chicken thigh fillets into bite-sized portions.
Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large frying pan and fry chicken in batches until just golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Add half a 200gm jar of Valcom Thai Green Curry Paste to frying pan and cook on low heat for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant. Then add 1 can of coconut cream and chicken stock, and stir into the green curry paste.
Add carrot, broccoli, Cavolo Nero, capsicum and cooked chicken to sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes or until vegetables become tender then remove from heat.
Add 1 tsp of finely grated palm sugar to taste (add more if desired), then add the baby corn and water chestnuts and stir through.
Serve individual portions of steaming green curry on top of rice and garnish with bean sprouts, slices of banana capsicum, Thai basil leaves and wedges of fresh lime. Add sambal chill for extra chilli heat!

Sushi Bowl

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
Cook rice as per packet instructions.
Meanwhile, boil corn cob until cooked, and cut kernels from the cob.
In a small bowl, mix corn kernels with Kewpie mayonnaise and Japanese yuzu seasoning.
Blanch zucchini strips in boiling water and drain on paper towel, season with salt. Optionally, toss blanched zucchini strips through a mixture of Japanese chilli paste and sesame oil for a chilli hit.
Blanch spinach then dry thoroughly on paper towel and drizzle with Yeo’s sesame oil. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Season sliced avocado with salt
Toss julienned carrot with some sesame oil and salt.
Slice salmon into even slices and dry thoroughly, then season.
Once the rice is cooked, stir through obento sushi seasoning to taste.

To Serve
Spoon on seasoned rice, top with pickled ginger, and wasabi paste. Wrap seasoned seaweed around one side, and carefully lay sashimi salmon on the other side. Place other vegetables around the rice, as you please.

Bang Bang Chicken

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
In a medium saucepan, pour in 1L of water and add in chopped spring onions, garlic and ginger slices, and chicken. Bring to the boil then simmer for 6-7 mins. Turn off the heat and leave chicken for 7 mins to steep.
Whilst chicken is cooking, prepare the noodles according to packet instructions. Divide cooked noodles between 4 plates/bowls.
In a bowl, mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Mix thoroughly to combine well and set aside.
Remove the chicken from saucepan, then shred the chicken by hitting with a mallet (or rolling pin). Add the chicken to the bowl with chilli sauce, gently turn the chicken to coat with the sauce.
Place the chilli chicken mixture onto the noodles, then top with the sliced spring onions to serve. Enjoy!

Coconut-crusted Tofu on Vermicelli Noodle Salad

by Leave a Comment

To Make the Noodles
Cook 250g of vermicelli noodles in boiling water until just tender. Tip into a colander and run under cold water immediately to ensure they don’t keep cooking.

To Make the Salad
Julienne 1 carrot, cut 1 Lebanese cucumber and 1 red capsicum into matchstick-size pieces. Slice 1 baby cos lettuce and about 6 spring onion stalks (only green section).

To Make Chilli-Coconut Dressing
Mix 1 cup of sweet chilli sauce with 6 tbsp of fish sauce, 4 tbsp white vinegar and ½ cup of coconut juice to thin it out a bit. Taste dressing and if you wish you can adjust the sweet, sour, salty flavors by adding more of the sweet chilli, vinegar or fish sauce respectively until it tastes just right for you.

To Make Coconut-crusted Tofu
Mix the coconut milk and yellow curry paste. Slice tofu into 1 cm slices then into triangle about 5cm long. Marinate tofu in the curry mix for about at least an hour or overnight if possible.
Coat the marinated tofu in flour, then the egg, then a bowl with a mixture of the desiccated coconut and panko crumbs.
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan on medium heat until a wooden spoon handle bubbles. Cook tofu in batches for about 5 mins until golden and crunchy. Drain on paper towel and serve warm.

To Assemble
Place the lettuce and baby spinach In the bowl. Top with the noodles and arrange the carrot, cucumber, capsicum and onions on top. Drizzle salad dressing over the top. Add coconut crumbed tofu on top of the salad and also top with chopped peanuts.
Garnish with mint, chilli coriander and lemon wedges.

Vegetarian Wontons with Chilli Oil

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
Finely chop mushrooms and onion into a bowl, then add grated carrot.
Mix in soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce.
Fill wonton wrappers with 1 tsp of mixture into the middle. Seal edges with water into a triangle, then seal triangle into a diamond shape
Boil wontons for 3 mins.
Serve with chilli oil and spring onion.

Teriyaki Soba with Grilled Salmon and Prawn

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
Cook soba in rapid boiling water for 4mins,. When it turns soft, drain and place it on the bowl.
Grill the prawn and salmon rolls using a food blow torch until it turns brown, then place it on top of the soba.
Cook all sauce ingredients together until they boil, then pour the sauce over of the soba.

Thai Coconut Red Curry with Prawns

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
In a large saucepan, heat the oil then stir-fry the red curry paste for a few minutes or until fragrant.
Add half the coconut milk stirring and simmering through for about 5 mins or until thickened slightly.
Add the red capsicum, broccolini and prawns, cooking over high heat for a few minutes.
Add the remaining coconut milk and sugar stirring through until vegetables and prawns are tender and cooked through.
Lastly, add kaffir lime leaves and basil leaves stirring through then remove from heat.
Add ladlefuls of the curry in bowls and top with some freshly chopped chilli (optional). Serve with steamed rice, if desired.

Crispy Red Miso, Ginger and Sesame Cauliflower Bites with Chilled Green Tea Soba Salad

by Leave a Comment

To Make Cauliflower
Mix miso paste and water together to make a loose paste. Then add all the remaining ingredients except cauliflower florets and oil spray, and mix well. Next, add in cauliflower and mix to coat well.
Place cauliflower in air fryer, spray with oil. Cook at 180°C for 13-15 mins until well browned, crispy and cooked through, ensuring to turn halfway through. Make Soba Salad while cauliflower is frying. Serve cauliflower warm.

To Make Soba Dressing
Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

To Make Soba Salad
Cook soba noodles according to packet instructions. Once cooked, rinse in cold water, drain well, set aside.
Blanch edamame, broccolini and snow peas in boiling water for 30 secs – 1 min, then plunge into iced water, drain and add to drained noodles.
Add and mix in Soba Dressing, spring onions and cucumber ribbons. Sprinkle over toasted sesame seeds to serve.

Singaporean Noodles

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
Slice the onion and crush the garlic. Let both sit over low heat in a fry pan with olive oil to caramelise until the entire dish is ready.
Shred the cabbage, grate the carrots and zucchini, and thinly slice the capsicum and spring onions. Place these in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat with the bean shoots and ginger for around 20 mins, or until vegetables are limp but not mushy. Stir regularly.
Cook the noodles as per packet instructions and drain.
To make the sauce, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, vinegar, and curry powder.
Elements may be served separately, or all mixed together in the wok/skillet prior to serving.

Meat Free Wonton Soup

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
Mix together meat-free wonton mixture (1 cup oyster mushrooms, 2 cloves of garlic, ½ cup cabbage, 1cm worth of ginger minced) and add in 2 tbsp of salt-reduced soy sauce and 1 tsp of sesame oil. Mix everything together until well combined.
Fill your wonton skins with the wonton mixture and set in the fridge while you prepare your soup.
Place 6 cups of water into a large saucepan to boil.
While water is boiling, add 1 clove of minced garlic, 2cm diameter minced ginger, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, 3 sliced spring onion, ½ cup enoki mushrooms and 1 cup sliced bok choy. Simmer for 5 to 8 mins.
Stir in 2 tbsp salt reduced soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp miso paste, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp chilli oil. Simmer for a further 2 mins. Set aside.
Next, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Carefully drop in your meat-free wontons and cook for 4 mins.
To serve, ladle your soup into bowls and drop your wontons onto the soup. Sprinkle on black sesame seeds and enjoy!