Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

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Prawns 3 Ways

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To Prep
Peel prawns, reserving heads and shells. Devein the prawns by slicing along the back and removing the trail. Set prawn cutlets and 6 heads aside in the fridge until needed.

To Cook
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add reserved prawn shells and heads, chilli and lemongrass. Sauté for 2 mins.
Add in 2 cups water and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 1 hr. Top up with extra water if needed.
Season with fish sauce, tamarind puree and sugar.
While prawn broth is simmering, add remaining prawn heads and cornflour into a ziplock bag. Shake until prawn heads are well coated.
Heat oil in a separate saucepan to 180°C. Deep fry the prawn heads for 2 mins or until slightly golden and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
Once the broth has nearly finished simmering, poach prepared prawn cutlets in broth for 1 min or until pink and cooked through. Remove from the broth.

To Serve
Arrange poached prawns and crispy prawns heads in a bowl. Garnish with chilli and micro herbs. Serve with prawn broth.

Chashu Ramen (Braised Pork Belly Ramen)

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To Make the Broth
Rinse the bones under cold water, place them in a tray and brown them in the oven at 220°C (fan forced) for 15-20 mins.
Transfer the bones into a pot and add water until they are fully covered. Add in the other broth ingredients (5 garlic cloves, 40g sliced ginger, spring onion & shallots).
Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 3-6 hrs.

To Make the Braised Pork Belly
In a sauce pan, mix the light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, mirin, Japanese sake, sugar, star anise, dry red chilli, garlic cloves, ginger and whole black pepper and bring to simmer for 2 mins.
Take off the heat and set the braising liquid aside.
Pat dry the pork belly and season with salt and pepper.
Place the pork belly in a roast tray and pour the braising liquid over it.
Wrap the tray with aluminium foil and place in a pre-heated oven at 220°C for 30 mins.
After 30 mins, reduce the oven to 180°C and let the pork cook for another 2 hrs while basting the pork belly every 40 mins.
After 2 hrs, remove the aluminium foil and cook for another 15 mins.
Set the pork aside to cool until ready to serve.

To Serve
Boil the ramen noodle and the corn cob for about 4-5 mins. Place in a bowl.
For the soft boiled egg, place your eggs in boiling water for 7 mins then remove the eggs and place in ice-cold water for 2 mins. Place in the bowl on top of the noodle.
Cut the pork belly and assemble on the noodle, along with the enoki mushrooms.
Pour in the broth until the noodles are covered and add in 25ml of the braising liquid mix with the ponzu sauce in each bowl.
Top with some spring onion and serve!

Hot Pot (Beef Stock with Tom Yum Paste)

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To Prep
Wash and cut all the vegetables. Arrange them on a plate.
Prepare your choice of meat and arrange them on a plate.
Prepare your dipping sauce, bowl, spoon, chopsticks, wire basket or slotted spoon.
Place your portable stove in the middle of the dining table.

To Cook
Combine the beef stock, tom yum paste, soy sauce, fish sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer.
Put a small portion of your favourite ingredients such as fish balls, cheese fish tofu, carrots, beef, vegetables, shrimps, mushrooms, tofu, chilli into the broth (place the ingredients that take longer to cook first).
Let the ingredients simmer until cooked.
Enjoy hotpot food with the dipping sauce, add some lemon to taste too.
You can use chopsticks, wire basket or slotted spoons to dish out the cooked ingredients and put into your bowl.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients. At the end of the meal enjoy the delicious stock.

Spring rolls with Noodle and Herbs

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To Prep
Place the pork, glass noodles, cabbage, carrot, sugar, sesame oil, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chicken stock powder and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined.
Mix cornflour and water in a small bowl.
Separate the spring roll wrappers. Keep the unused ones covered under damp paper towel.
Place a spring roll wrapper on a plate in diamond pattern. Scoop about 1 tbsp of the spring roll mixture and place in the middle of the wrapper. Roll it up and fold both sides in. Roll it up to the end and dab some of the cornflour mixture at the top of the wrapper to secure it in.
Repeat until all wrappers are gone.

To Cook
Heat oil in a wok until it’s hot. Make sure oil covers spring rolls. Cooking in batches, carefully place spring rolls in hot oil and cook until golden and crisp. Roughly about 5 mins.
Drain on a paper towel. Repeat with all the spring rolls.

To Serve
Arrange noodles, beansprout, herbs and carrot on a serving bowl.
Make the dipping sauce by combine dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until the sugar has dissolved.
Arrange spring rolls on top of the noodles. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.

Mirin, Mint and Black Sesame Ice-cream in Coconut Soba Birds’ Nests

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To Make the Ice Cream
Combine cream and milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.
Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks, palm sugar and mirin till the mixture is pale and the palm sugar has dissolved.
Slowly add the heated milk mixture to the egg yolk, sugar and mirin mixture while beating on a slow speed. Once combined, transfer the liquid back into the saucepan and stir constantly with a spoon over a low heat.
Once the custard mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, turn off the heat and allow to cool in the refrigerator. When the mixture is chilled, add the fresh mint and black sesame seeds and transfer to an ice-cream maker. Follow the instructions for the ice-cream maker.

To Make the Birds’ Nest
Heat the coconut milk and sugar in a saucepan to a simmer. Add the soba noodles to the simmering coconut milk and allow to soften for 4-5 mins.
Using a sieve, drain the coconut milk from the noodles.
Pre-heat an oven to 180°C (fan-forced).
To create the bird’s nests, take the noodles and spread them in a network fashion on the outside of 7 or 8 rounded silicone muffin moulds.
Bake in the oven for about 20 mins or until the noodles have dried and have a light brown crispy texture.
Allow the nests to cool and carefully separate them from the mould.

To Serve
Once the ice-cream has fully set, place a scoop or two into a crispy coconut soba birds’ nest.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Serve and enjoy!

Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Soup)

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To Cook
Add coconut oil to heated pan. After 30 secs, add red curry paste, chilli and garlic.
Cook on medium heat for approximately 1 min.
Add chicken pieces and cook for approximately 2-3 mins. Chicken should not be fully cooked through.
In a separate saucepan, begin to boil water for the rice.
Add stock, lemongrass, basil, salt, galangal and kaffir lime leaves to soup mixture and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins.
Add rice to boiling water and cook for 10 mins or until ready.
After 10 mins, add coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce to soup mix and bring to the boil.
Add mushrooms and capsicum to soup mix and cook on medium heat till mushrooms and capsicum become tender but not soft.

To Serve
Remove rice from heat, strain and distribute 4 even portions.
Remove lemongrass and galangal from Tom Kha Gai Soup and pour over rice portions.
Add spring onions and/or coriander to garnish. Enjoy!

Prawn Wonton Tom Yum

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To Prep
Separate 12 large prawns, peel them but keep the tails attached. Put all peeled shells and heads into a large bowl. Then devein all 12 prawns, put into another small bowl and keep them in the fridge.
Peel and take all the tails off from the remaining prawns and put all shells and heads in the same bowl as the first lot. Then devein all prawns and put them in the bowl.
Transfer all clean prawns from step two into a mortar then pound it with pestle into a rough paste. Scoop the prawn paste into the bowl and keep them in the fridge.

To Make the Stock
Bring 6 cups of water to the boil and add all prawn shells and heads, then add the red shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal. Let the water boil and simmer gently for about 10-12 mins.
Pour all of prawn stock into a colander with another pot under them. Use a big soup ladle to press all prawn shells and heads until all liquid gets into the pot.
Put the prawn tom yum stock back to the gas top and turn the gas on high heat.
Add all the seasoning ingredients into the stockpot and mix all ingredients until combined and adjust the flavour to suit your liking. Let the stock boil and turn the gas off.

To Make the Wontons
Separate the wonton skin and put the prawn paste, about 1 full teaspoon, into one wonton skin each time. Then moisten the rim of wonton skin with a little bit of water and fold the skin in half to join and close the rim together. You can make any shape and design you like.
Put the complete wonton filling onto a plate and continue doing until the filling is finished.

To Cook
When it’s time to serve, turn the gas on for tom yum stock pot and keep it simmering while waiting to cook wonton.
Put 2L of water into another large pot and put on the gas and let it boil.
Cook all prawns with the tails on in the boiling water for about 40-60 secs, then take the prawns out and put them onto a plate.
Let the water boil again then cook wonton by putting one wonton at a time to prevent them from sticking together.
Cook 6-8 wontons each time. Wait until wontons float to the surface then scoop them out and into individual bowls (6 wontons per serve).
Repeat the wonton cooking process until the wonton wrap is finished.
Increase the heat on the tom yum soup pot and let it boil, then add all mushrooms into the pot.

To Serve
Pour hot tom yum soup and cooked mushrooms into individual bowls and top up with 2 cooked prawns per bowl and garnish before serving.
Add chilli powder as desired and enjoy prawn wonton tom yum soup.

Soba Soy Salad

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To Cook
Chop all the ingredients and cook the noodles as per the instructions on the packet, then combine.
To make the dressing, combine vegetable oil, sesame oil, and crushed red peppers in a small saucepan.
Whisk over heat for 3 mins, then add the honey and soy sauce, stir until combined and then allow to cool before dressing salad.

Dan Dan Tofu Noodles

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To Prep
To start the noodle sauce, in a bowl combine together 4 tbsp soy sauce and the sesame paste, stir until fully combined. Then add in vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar and spring onions. Mix thoroughly.
Add the Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil, white pepper and Sichuan peppercorns to the sauce, stir until combined. Set aside.
Using a food processor, pulse king oyster mushrooms, 3 spring onions and garlic until finely chopped . Add in tofu pieces and pulse the mixture again, until all ingredients are finely chopped, (not a paste!).

To Cook
In a wok, add in vegetable oil until medium-high heat. Add in the Sichuan preserved vegetables and cook for 2 mins.
Reduce the heat, add the tofu and mushroom mixture, cooking for 2 mins, stirring very gently.
Pour 1½ tbsp LKK Premium soy and Shaoxing wine into the wok. Continue to cook for 7-8 mins, gently turning the mixture over so it does not stick to the pan. It should become lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the fresh wheat noodles according to packet instructions. Place pak choi into boiling water for 30 secs.
In 4 separate bowls, divide the cooked noodles, then ¼ of the sesame noodle sauce mixture to each, stir through lightly to combine.
Top noodles with a generous spoonful of tofu mixture, then add pak choi, finely sliced spring onion and peanuts.

Skewers Hot Pot (Lok-Lok)

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To Prep
Skewer all the ingredients ready for dipping.
Mix all sweet dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.
Mix all garlic chilli dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.

To Make Stock
Heat the pork or chicken stock in a pot to a boil.
Season with salt and pepper, adjust the taste to your preference.
Once the stock is ready, start dipping the ingredients in the pot to cook and eat with dipping sauces.

Quick Shortcut Satay Hot Pot (Cheat’s Satay Celup)

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To Prep
Skewer all the ingredients for easy dipping.

To Make Stock
In a clean wok on low heat, add the dry spices. Stir constantly and toast until fragrant. Remove and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok and fry the shallots until fragrant.
Add in the satay sauce and fry for 10 mins on medium heat, then add in the dry spices and mix well.
Pour in the stock and simmer for another 10 mins. Season according to your preference.
Once ready, start dipping the ingredients into the sauce to cook. Stir the sauce often, especially the bottom to avoid burning.

Thai Suki Hot Pot

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To Make Sauce
In a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic until fine and smooth.
Add the red been curd and juice and continue to mash them until smooth.
Add in the toasted sesame seed and crush them lightly.
Transfer the paste into a pot and add in the remaining ingredients; sriracha, tomato sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and water, stir to mix well.
Heat up the sauce in medium heat until it starts to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 3 mins.
Remove from heat and the sauce is ready for dipping.

To Serve
Bring the pork/chicken stock to boil, add ingredients in your order of preference. Cook and dip in Thai suki dipping sauce as you go.