To Make
Boil the udon noodles according to the package instructions.
While the noodles are cooking, shred the lettuce and cucumber, and thinly slice the ham and crab sticks.
Once the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse them under cold water until completely cooled.
Divide the cold udon noodles into serving bowls. Top each bowl with the prepared lettuce, cucumber, ham and crab sticks.
Drizzle udon sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and add any optional garnishes like green onions and nori strips.
Boil
Prawn Laksa with Quail Eggs
To Make
Add enough cold water to a small pot to cover the quail eggs and add a splash of white vinegar. Bring to a boil and then add the quail eggs. Boil for 2 min (soft) or 2.5 min (medium). Remove pan from heat and let eggs sit for 1 min. Give eggs an ice bath to stop cooking. Peel and set aside for later.
Add 2 tsp sesame oil, garlic, and finely chopped red onion to a wok on medium heat. Fry for 1 min to soften onions. Add laksa paste, galangal, ginger and fry for 2-3 min to release the flavour. Add chicken stock, lemongrass, kaffir lime, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 min.
Add coconut milk, mushrooms, snow peas and bring to a low simmer and simmer for 2 min, stirring gently.
Add 1 tsp sesame oil, tamarind paste and prawns to pan on medium heat and cook the prawns 50%, make sure they are well coated with the tamarind paste. Add the prawns and tamarind, sliced red onion, and most of the chili to the laksa. Simmer for 2 min to finish cooking the prawns.
Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions, drain and plate at the bottom of the serving bowls.
Squeeze some of the half lime into the laksa, stir and taste. Add more lime or fish sauce to taste. Remove the galangal chunks and lemongrass (if used the stalk). Add quail eggs (keep 2 for garnish).
Ladle laksa over noodles. Top with 1 tsp chili oil. Garnish with chili, bean sprouts, Vietnamese mint, coriander, halved quail egg, cucumber and lime wedge. Serve hot and enjoy.
Indonesian Meatball Noodle Soup (Bakso)
To Make
Heat up beef stock in a small stock pot with all the broth ingredients except the salt and pepper. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Season broth with salt and pepper to taste.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Making-Broth.jpg
While broth is simmering, place beef ball ingredients into a food processor. Blitz until you get a smooth paste.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Blitzing-Meatballs.jpg
Prepare a bowl of water with some ice cubes. Dip one hand into the cold water, grab a handful of the beef paste and push through between your thumb and index finger. Once you get a round ball out, slide it off with a spoon and set aside. Continue until all beef paste is made into balls.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Making-Meatballs.jpg
Remove all the aromatics from the broth. Turn heat up and cook beef balls until all are floating to the surface.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Cook-Meatballs.jpg
Blanch bok choy and bean sprouts. Cook egg noodles according to package instructions.
Place noodles, bok choy and bean sprouts into bowls. Scoop broth and beef balls over and garnish with spring onions and fried shallots. Serve with Sambal soto.
*To make sambal soto, boil 5-7 bird eye chillies in water for 5 mins. Grind in mortar and pestle into paste. Add salt to taste.
Padang Chicken Curry
To Make
Place all the spice paste ingredients into a mortar and pestle and grind until you get a smooth paste.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grind-Spice-Paste.jpg
Heat up a heavy bottom pot with 2 tbsp of oil and sauté the spice paste for 4-5 mins until fragrant.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Heat-Spice-Paste.jpg
Add in the aromatics and stir to combine.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Add-Aromatics.jpg
Place chicken drumsticks in and stir to coat.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Add-Chicken-Drumsticks.jpg
Add water, salt, coconut sugar and tamarind and cook for 15 mins.
Pour in coconut milk and cook for a further 10 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Add-Coconut-Milk.jpg
Serve hot with steamed rice.
Bún Thang (Vietnamese Chicken Egg Noodle Soup)
To Make
Heat up frying pan and toast onions and ginger slices until onions are charred. Set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Char-Onions.jpg
In a medium stock pot, add water, onions, ginger, chicken, dried shrimps and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Once water is bubbling, turn heat down to low and let it simmer for 45 mins to 1 hour. Add salt and fish sauce.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Make-Soup.jpg
Remove chicken thighs and let them cool. Shred chicken into thin strips and set aside.
Divide rice noodles into 2 bowls. Pour soup over.
Arrange toppings of shredded chicken, egg omelette strips, sliced Vietnamese pork loaf and sliced shiitake mushrooms.
Garnish with chopped spring onions, chopped cilantro, Vietnamese mint, fried shallots, chopped Thai red chilli and lime wedge.
Thai Coconut Balls (Khanom Tom)
To Make
Place shredded coconut, palm sugar, salt and water in a pan and fry until the shredded coconut has fully absorbed the water. Set aside to cool and roll into 10g balls.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Coconut-and-Palm-Sugar.jpg
Steam cut sweet potatoes until they are soft, around 10-12 mins. Set aside to cool.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Steam-Sweet-Potato.jpg
Mash each type of sweet potato in a separate bowl.
In a mixing bowl, place glutinous rice flour, mashed purple sweet potato and mix with coconut milk until you get a pliable dough. Each type of sweet potato has different moisture contents so the amount of coconut milk required might differ. Wrap dough to avoid it drying up.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Make-Dough.jpg
Roll all sweet potato dough into 20g balls.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Roll-into-Balls.jpg
Take one potato ball and make a well. Place cooked grated coconut ball into the dough and seal it up and roll into a ball. Set aside and cover while you work on the rest of the balls.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Insert-Filling.jpg
Place grated coconut mixed with water and salt on a plate and heat in the microwave for 1 min on high. Set aside to cool.
Fill a saucepan with water until 2/3 full and bring it to a boil. Drop half of the balls in and let it cook until they float up. Repeat for the other half.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Boil-Balls.jpg
Remove balls and drain. Drop them in the grated coconut and roll to coat.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Roll-in-Coconut.jpg
Bukkake Udon
To Make
In a sauce pan, boil water and cook Hakubaku Organic Udon Noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, rinse udon over cold water and divide into 2 bowls.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Cook-Udon.jpg
In a sauce pan, heat up dashi stock with light soy sauce, sake, mirin and brown sugar. Let it come to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and drop in the ice cubes.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Ice-in-Broth.jpg
Pour broth over udon and garnish with chopped spring onions, julienned cucumber, bonito flakes, sesame seeds, onsen eggs and pickled ginger (optional).
Oyako Udon (Chicken and Egg Udon Soup)
To Make
Marinade diced chicken with salt and pepper and let it sit for 10 mins.
In a sauce pan, boil water and cook Hakubaku Organic Udon Noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, rinse udon over cold water and divide into 2 bowls.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Cook-Udon-1.jpg
Heat cooking oil on a pan and pan fry diced chicken until brown on all sides. Do not overcrowd, cook in batches. Set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Pan-Fry-Chicken.jpg
In a sauce pan heat up dashi stock with salt, light soy sauce, mirin and ginger paste. Let it come to a gentle boil.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Make-Broth.jpg
Stir in slurry and let it thicken. Toss in chopped leek and cook for 2 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Add-Slurry-1.jpg
Pour in ½ of the beaten eggs around the pot and let it cook for 30 secs. Give it a stir and pour remaining beaten eggs.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Add-Egg.jpg
Pour soup over the udon and serve with chopped spring onions and Shichimi Togarashi (optional).
Korean Black Bean Sauce Noodles (Jjajangmyeon)
To Make
Marinade diced pork with salt, mirin, black pepper and ginger powder for 10 mins.
Heat up a deep bottom pan or cast iron pot with oil. Sauté the black bean sauce for 3-5 mins and reduce to low heat. Add in brown sugar and continue to fry for 2-3 min. Scoop the sauce out and set aside but keep oil in the pot.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Black-Bean-Sauce.jpg
Toss the marinated diced pork into the pot and cook until pork is half cooked.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Cook-Pork.jpg
Add in the diced onions, stir and add in daikon, zucchini and potatoes. Stir for 3 mins. Add in the cabbage and continue to fry for 2-3 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Add-Veggies.jpg
Return the black sauce into the pot and toss to coat all the ingredients for 2 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Mix-Sauce.jpg
Add in chicken stock and water and let it simmer for 7-10 mins covered.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Add-Chicken-Stock.jpg
Once potatoes turn soft, add in the slurry to thicken the sauce.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Add-Slurry.jpg
In a separate sauce pan, heat up water and blanch noodles according to package instructions.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Blanch-Noodles.jpg
Place noodles into a bowl, scoop black bean sauce over and garnish with cucumber.
Fried Red Bean Rice Cakes
To Make
Prepare red bean paste by boiling red beans with water and pandan leaf until red beans turn mushy. This will take 30-45 mins. Mash with a spoon or use a blender until you get desired texture. Transfer to a non-stick frying pan, add sugar and cook until sugar dissolves. Add in butter and continue to cook under low heat until it turns into a thick paste. Remove from pan and let cool. Divide into 10 equal portions, roll into balls and set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Red-Bean-Paste.jpg
In a large mixing bowl, mix glutinous rice flour with water until you get a kneadable dough. Divide into 10 equal portions and roll into balls.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Roll-into-Balls.jpg
Take one portion of glutinous rice ball, make a well and place a portion of red bean paste ball and seal. Flatten it into a disc with a diameter between 8-9cm. Lightly brush both sides with water and press into a bowl filled with toasted sesame seeds.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Red-Bean-Filling.jpg
Heat up a non-stick frying pan with some oil and pan fry red beans rice cakes until both sides turn slightly brown. Serve warm.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Fry-Cakes.jpg
Tuna Sundubu Jjigae
To Make
Heat up a medium saucepan or cast iron pot with 2 tbsp cooking oil and sauté chopped onions and chopped spring onions for 2-3 mins. Add in tuna, minced garlic and gochugaru. Stir well and cook for 1 min. Add in water and stir.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Saute-Ingredients.jpg
Once it comes to a gentle boil, add in zucchini and enoki mushrooms. Stir and add in silken tofu. Let it come to a boil and lower the heat. Cover partially and let it simmer for 3 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Add-Tofu.jpg
Add in light soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir well.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Add-Soy-Sauce.jpg
Crack an egg in the centre and let it cook for 2 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Crack-Egg.jpg
Serve hot with steamed rice.
Karaage Chicken with Wasabi Mayo and Potato Salad Bento Box
To Make Karaage Chicken
Marinate chicken for 30 mins with the sake, soy sauce, mirin, grated ginger and juice and minced garlic.
Heat up oil in a small saucepan to 180°C.
Mix potato starch and rice flour together and mix into the marinated chicken until coated well.
Fry chicken pieces in small batches for 4-5 mins. Drain oil.
Increase temperature to 190°C and refry chicken pieces for 1-2 mins until golden brown. Drain and cool on rack.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BK-3.jpg
Mix together Japanese mayonnaise and S&B Wasabi Paste to make the wasabi mayonnaise dipping sauce for the chicken.
To Make Potato Salad
Cut potatoes into large cubes and place into a large saucepan filled with water covering all the potatoes. Boil until potatoes are soft.
Drain away the water and let potatoes to cool down to room temperature. Mash potatoes and chilled in the refrigerator for 30 mins.
Add in the rest of the ingredients except shichimi togarashi. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.
To Prepare Japanese Pickles
Place all vegetables in a medium bowl and weigh. The quantity of salt to be added will be the total weight of vegetables multiplied by 0.0025. Add in sugar and mix well.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BK-1.jpg
Stack a few plates onto vegetables to press them down and cover to start pickling process. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BK-2.jpg
Mix in some sesame oil and sesame seeds before serving.
To Prepare Edamame
Heat up a small saucepan with water. Once boiling, add in edamame and boil for 3-4 mins. Drain and set aside.
To Assemble
Assemble bento box by placing steamed rice to one side. Then using green oak lettuce to compartmentalize the karaage chicken with wasabi mayo, edamame, Japanese pickles and potato salad.
Bento box should be kept chilled until ready to eat, best eaten day of.