To Cook
Bring water to the boil in a large saucepan, add oil and salt then blanch Chinese broccoli for 2 mins or until tender.
Add sesame oil to water and drain well.
Arrange gai lan on a serving plate; drizzle with oyster sauce and serve as an accompaniment to other dishes.
Boil
Braised Meat Sauce Noodle Soup
To Cook
Heat broth in a stock pot and add meat sauce. Season to taste with salt and sesame oil.
Place noodles in serving bowls and top with blanched lettuce. Pour in soup with meat sauce and garnish with spring onions. Serve.
Express Vegetable Noodle Soup
To Prep
Cut the broccoli into florets and the Chinese cabbage leaves into small even pieces.
To Cook
Bring water to a boil. Add in the flavoured sachet contents, instant noodles, Chinese cabbage and broccoli florets. Then cook for 2 mins on high.
Serve hot with chopped spring onion and sliced chillies, if desired.
Thai Mock Fruit Mung Bean Dessert (Luk Chup)
To Make the Mung Bean Paste
Rinse the split dried mung beans 2-3 times in cold water until water is clear. Drain through a sieve, then add to a bowl and soak in cold water for 4 hrs.
Drain through a sieve, then place soaked beans in a cheese cloth. Place in a steamer and cook for 15-20 mins, or until softened.
Carefully remove from the steamer, then spread out on a tray and allow to cool completely.
Place beans in a food processor and process until fine.
Add beans, sugar and coconut milk to a large non-stick pan and stir together until well combined.
Turn on heat to medium-low and cook for 15 mins until mixture becomes a smooth, dry paste.
Transfer the paste to a tray, spreading it out into a single layer. Cover the surface with cling wrap, then allow to cool at room temperature until completely cool.
To Make Luk Chup
Take a small amount of cooled mung bean paste and shape it into a fruit or vegetable of your choice. Slide a toothpick into the paste, then stick this on a piece of foam. Repeat with remaining paste.
Use a clean paintbrush or cotton bud to paint the fruits and vegetables in different colours. Once completely painted, allow to dry for 1 hr.
In a saucepan, whisk together the agar-agar powder, sugar and water. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and allow to sit for a few mins until bubbles dissipate. Pour into a heatproof cup.
Dip the mung bean fruits and vegetables into the glaze, then allow to dry for 10 mins, then repeat 1-2 times depending on how thick you want the glaze to be. Allow to set completely.
Carefully remove from toothpick, then trim any excess glaze with kitchen scissors.
Enjoy!
Korean New Year Rice Cake Soup (Tteok Guk)
To Cook
Wash meat with cold water and then place in a pot of cold water, about 2lt. Bring this to a boil then skim for any impurities that float to the top of the stock. Reduce heat and add garlic and 1 whole green onion. Simmer the stock for about 1½ hrs or until the meat pulls apart easily.
Take out the meat and discard the garlic and green onions. Skim off any fat that may float on top of the stock.
Soak sliced rice cakes in a bowl of cold water, drain water when the rice cakes have softened.
Thinly slice or pull apart 1/3 of the meat. Season sliced beef with salt and pepper and combine with 1 green onion (sliced), sesame oil and minced garlic.
Bring the stock to a boil and add the rice cakes and soy sauce. Cook until the rice cakes are really soft, season with salt and pepper.
Ladle rice cake soup into individual bowls and top with seasoned meat, eggs, sliced green onions and shredded kim (nori). Sprinkle more pepper on top of the soup.
For the Quicker version of Tteok guk
In a heated saucepan, add 200g of thinly sliced scotch filler and cloves of garlic (minced). Cook meat until just cooked, add 1 tsp soy.
Sauce to the meat. Add 2lt of cold water. Bring this to a boil and skim stock for impurities. Simmer the stock for about 15 mins.
Soak sliced rice cakes in a bowl of cold water, drain water when the rice cakes have softened.
Add the sliced rice cakes and cook until rice cakes are soft. Season the soup with 2-3 tbsp soy sauce, salt and pepper. Add in 2 beaten eggs in ribbons into the hot soup and 2 green onions (sliced). Ladle soup to individual bowls and sprinkle with extra ground black pepper.
Pork Dumplings with Prawn and Chives
To Prep
Add marinade to pork and mix in a clockwise direction. Set aside for 30 mins.
Add marinade into chopped prawn meat and mix in clockwise direction. Set aside for 30 mins.
Add marinade into finely chopped chives and mix well. Set aside.
Combine pork, prawn and chives in a large bowl. Add salt and mix well in a clockwise direction.
Spoon 1 tbsp dumpling filling on dumpling skin and fold in the edges to seal.
To Cook
Bring half a pot of water to the boil. Add dumplings and cook until they float to the surface. Add some cold water and continue to boil dumplings until they float again to ensure they are cooked inside.
Drain well. Serve this hot Pork dumplings with prawn and chives with dumpling sauce and pickled ginger.
Seared Tuna on Soba Noodles
To Cook
Cook Soba according to packet instructions, Drain, then rinse in cold water.
Combine soy and mirin, toss through noodles.
Brush tuna with oil, then season. Heat a large, non-stick fry pan over high heat. Cook tuna for 20-30 secs each side until lightly coloured but still completely rare inside. Remove from pan and cut into 55mm thick slices.
Divide the noodles among plates, top with spinach, broccolini and tuna.
Udon Chicken Soup with Coriander and Ginger
To Cook
Place the chicken fillets, grated ginger and water in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 6 mins so as to poach the chicken. Remove the chicken and cool slightly. Reserve the liquid. Shred chicken and place aside.
Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and place into 4 serving bowls.
Add chicken stock to reserved liquid and bring to the boil.
Top noodles with shredded chicken, chopped ginger, spring onions and coriander. Ladle over soup. Drizzle with a little light soy sauce and roasted sesame oil. Serve immediately.
Coconut Pudding
To Prep
Soak agar-agar in 1.5L of warm water for 15 mins. The agar-agar will settle to the bottom of the bowl in a watery paste. Drain the excess water from the top of the bowl, leaving the agar-agar.
Blend corn flour, coconut milk and evaporated milk. Set aside.
Boil 1.5L of water in a saucepan, add agar-agar and sugar and continue boiling until dissolved.
Add corn flour mixture slowly to the boiling water and stir constantly for about 3 mins.
Pour mixture into oiled moulds. Place in refrigerator to chill.
Before serving, cut the pudding into diamond shaped pieces, serve topped with lychees.
Hint: The amount of white sugar can be adjusted to taste.
Other fresh or canned fruit such as strawberries, peaches or mango can be used instead of lychees.
Fish Curry with Dilloy
To Prep
Cut the fish at 2cm thick.
Cut tomatoes into quarter segment.
To Cook
Bring the water to the boil over high heat, mix the curry paste and stir well. Return to the boils, place the fish 2-3 pieces a time to keep boiling, do not stir, until the fish is well cooked.
Combine tomato and dill, stir well until cooked, adding fish sauce, salt and coriander before removing from heat. Enjoy with a bowl of steamed rice.
Tom Yum Soup with Prawns
To Cook
In a sauce pan, bring water to the boil over medium heat.
Boil the prawns’ heads and peels for 2 mins and remove. Use only the stock.
Bring the stock to the boil, adding lemongrass for half a minute, then add mushroom, prawns, kaffir lime, fish sauce, lime juice and chilli.
Remove from heat and serve in soup bowls. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Northern Thai Curry Noodle with Chicken (Khao Soi)
To Cook
Mix all curry paste ingredients and pound until become fine paste.
Place light coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat, adding salt, until boiling.
Stir fry curry paste with ½ cup heated coconut milk until fragrant, and transfer the curry mixture into boiling light coconut milk. Return to the boil, combine chicken meat until well cooked, adding the remaining coconut milk. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, can add little salt if the taste is not salty. Set aside.
Separate approximate 50g egg noodle, and deep fry a little at a time in heated oil over medium heat until crispy yellow, quickly remove and place over absorbent paper, use for topping (Before frying, shake well the noodle to take out coating flour)
Cook the noodle in boiling water, little amount at a time, for few minutes as pack instruction, drain and place in serving bowls.
Combine the curry sauce and chicken into the noodle bowl and top with the crispy noodle. Serve with pickled vegetable. Some lime juice can be added to enhance flavor if prefer.