Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

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Abalone Porridge (Jeonbok Naejang Jook)

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To Prep
Rinse the medium grain (calrose) rice and soak thoroughly in 950ml water for about 2 hrs at room temperature.
Pry the abalone from its shell using a spoon. Take a 1.5cm incision on the end of the abalone closest to the adductor muscle and remove the abalones tooth. Cut open the intestine and remove the debris.
Clean the abalone by rubbing it with salt. Rinse the abalone and separate the intestine. Cut the intestine into small pieces and thinly slice the abalone meat.

To Cook
Heat a flat pan over a medium heat and season with sesame oil. Add the sliced abalone meat and intestine to the pan and saute. Then, add rice and saute for about 1 minute.
Add 1.9L to the flat pan and increase to high heat to make the porridge.
Once the porridge starts boiling, lower to medium heat. Let the porridge continue to cook until the rice grains become extremely soft making the jeonbok naejang jook.
Transfer the jeonbok naejang jook to a serving bowl and garnish with pine nut powder. Serve with salt and soy sauce on the side.

Note: When buying abalone, ensure that they are still alive in their shell, stored on ice or it is still in the water. Make sure your abalone does not have any fishy smell as that is a sign it is not fresh. Quickly refrigerate them in the coldest part of the fridge and store them in a bowl and cover it with a wet cloth. Use within 24 hours.

Vermicelli Salad (Kerabu Bee Hoon)

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To Cook
Prepare vermicelli as per instructions on package. Ensure that vermicelli is not overcooked, then refresh in cold water, drain and set aside.
Steam the prawns with their shells on for 10 mins until cooked and then peel off the shells. This helps as the prawns will not shrink.
In a big bowl, mix the shallots with the dressing and add in the vermicelli. When evenly mixed, add in prawns, half of the toasted groundnuts and kerisik.
Garnish with the remaining toasted groundnuts, coconut and curled coriander sprigs.

Massaman Curry with Beef (Gaeng Massaman Nua)

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To Cook
Mix water and ½ cup coconut milk in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat, add the meat, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins or until the meat is tender.
While simmering the meat, stir-fry Valcom Massaman Curry Paste with ½ cup coconut milk over low heat until fragrant. Turn up the heat, slowly add the remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and tamarind puree. Mix well.
Add the curry mixture to the beef, bring to the boil, add potatoes and onion and continue cooking until potatoes and onion are tender.
Garnish with roasted peanuts and remove from heat.

Hot and Sour Soup

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To Cook
In a bowl, mix pork slices with marinade ingredients and stir well to combine.
In a pot, heat 1 tsp oil and add ginger, bamboo shoots, carrots, fungus and sliced rehydrated mushrooms. Stir fry until fragrant and cooked.
Pour in boiling water and carefully stir in Premium Chicken Bouillon Powder. Add pork slices and all seasoning ingredients. Stir well. Then, add in tofu slices. Gently stir to mix then, allow to boil.
Pour in thickening mixture and gently stir to combine. Once the soup has thickened, turn off the fire and swirl in beaten egg.
Ladle to individual serving bowls and serve warm.

Noodles with Oyster Sauce and Vinegar

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To Cook
Cook the noodles in boiling water according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a serving dish.
In a bowl, add all seasoning mix ingredients and stir to combine. Pour over noodles and toss to mix thoroughly. Garnish with spring onions and serve with side dishes.

Noodles with XO Sauce

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To Prep
Mix garlic with seasoning mix and add hot water. Stir to combine. Set aside.

To Cook
Cook the noodles in boiling water according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Blanch lettuce until slightly wilted.
Drizzle sauce over cooked noodles and mix well. Top with XO Sauce and sprinkle with spring onions. Serve with a side of blanched lettuce. Mix noodles well and enjoy!

Braised Spare Ribs with Chestnuts and Pumpkin

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To Cook
Wash the spare ribs and pat dry. Mix in marinade ingredients and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hrs. Add 2 tbsp oil in a heated frying pan. Pan fry the spare ribs until golden brown. Remove the spare ribs from the oil and set aside.
Steam the chestnuts and pumpkin until half-cooked, then cool.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, spring onions, garlic and shallots and fry slightly. Add the spare ribs, chestnuts and seasoning mix, and bring to a boil. Turn to low heat and cover the pan with a lid. Continue cooking until the spare ribs are fully cooked and the chestnuts are soft. Add the diced pumpkin and cook for another 10 mins.
Add water if necessary. Cook the sauce to the preferred thickness and turn off the heat. Serve.

Pork Dumplings in Hot Chilli Oil

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To Cook
In a bowl, put in pork and mix in 1 tbsp of chopped spring onions. Add marinade ingredients and stir to mix well. The filling is ready.
Spoon some filling into a wonton wrapper. Glaze the rim with beaten egg to seal. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling.
Bring some water to a boil. Drop in the wontons and cook until the wontons float to the surface. Dish out and place into a bowl with seasoning mix. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts and remaining spring onions. Serve.

Seafood and Tofu Soup

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To Cook
In a pot, add water, seasoning and tofu. Bring to a boil. Then, add seafood mix and allow to cook for 1 min.
Add the starch-water mixture to soup and stir till thickened. Turn heat to low and slowly stir in beaten egg into soup and mix well. Serve.

Chinese Braised Eel with Mashed Purple Sweet Potatoes

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To Cook
Boil whole potatoes and purple sweet potatoes until softened. Dish out and allow to cool. Peel and mash until fluffy. Add whipping cream, butter and a dash of salt and ground white pepper. Mix well. Keep warm and set aside.
Pat the eel meat dry and marinate lightly with a dash of salt and ground white pepper. Allow the eel meat to air dry.
Stir seasoning mix well over hot water. Brush a layer onto the eel. Roast eel in a 180°C preheated oven. Continue to baste with seasoning mix periodically until the eel is cooked through. Plate the eel.
Stir sauce mix well over hot water. Drizzle over the eel. Serve with the mashed purple sweet potatoes.

Radish Stuffed with XO Sauce Shrimp Paste in Crab Roe Sauce

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To Cook
In a bowl, season shrimps with a dash of salt. Mince the shrimps using a knife or blender. Add shiitake mushrooms and seasoning mix. Stir the mixture until it forms a paste. Wrap the bowl with cling wrap and chill in refrigerator.
Use a round mould to cut the radish pieces into preferred sizes. Make a hole in the centre of each piece. Sprinkle a dash of salt on the surface of the radish. Steam until cooked and set aside to cool.
Arrange the radish pieces on a plate. Stuff shrimp paste into each piece. Steam for 8–10 mins.
Mince the crab roe. Boil the broth and carrot juice and add the minced crab roe. Add a dash of corn starch to thicken the sauce. Drizzle the sauce over the steamed radish pieces with stuffed shrimp paste. Top with XO Sauce. Serve.

Boiled Prawns

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To Prep
Remove veins from the prawns. Snip off pointed ends on the heads and tails, then trim off the legs.
Rinse and pat dry.

To Cook
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add spring onions, ginger slices and all Seasoning ingredients. Let it boil for 30 secs.
Add in the prawns. Remove once the prawns turn red.
Drain well and serve on a plate. Garnish with coriander and spring onion. Serve with garlic wasabi sauce (optional).