Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Deep-Fry

Mini Peanut Puffs (Kok Chai)

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To Make the Filling
In a small pan, toast peanuts over medium heat for 3-4 mins until lightly brown. Remove and allow to cool. Coarsely chop or grind the peanuts.
Toast sesame seeds for 1- 2 mins until lightly brown.
Mix peanuts, sesame seeds, and sugar in a bowl until well combined and set aside.

To Make the Dough
Combine flour(s) and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour oil into the well and mix with a spatula. Add water gradually to form a soft, non-sticky dough. You may not use up the full amount of water.
Place the dough on a clean work surface and knead for 3-4 mins. Shape into a round ball and place in the bowl again. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow to rest for 10 mins.
Grab the dough from the bowl and roll into a cylinder for about 12 inches long. Divide into 16 portions.
Take a piece and shape it into 2½ inches circle by rotating and flattening the edges. Place 1 tsp of filling at the centre.
Fold the dough in half. Press and pleat the edges to seal. Repeat for the rests of the dough.

To Cook
Heat adequate amount of oil in work or saucepan for deep-frying.
Deep-fry the mini puffs over medium low heat for 4-5 mins or until golden brown. Remove and drain the mini puffs in a metal strainer.
Allow to cool completely before storing in air tight containers for up to 2 weeks.

Salt and Pepper Fish

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To Cook
Rinse and pat dry fish fillets with a paper towel. Cut fish into bite-size pieces and mix well with marinade ingredients. Set aside for 10-15 mins.
Fill a frying pan 3-4 cm deep with cooking oil. Deep-fry the fish (in batches) on high heat until golden brown. Drain the fried fish on paper towel.
When you’re done frying, pour out the remaining oil and leave about 2 tbsp oil in the pan. On medium high heat, saute the ginger, garlic and chilli until fragrant. Then, add salt, pepper and sugar.
Add in the fried fish, a dash of Shaoxing wine and give it a few quick tosses. Sprinkle chopped spring onions and serve warm.

Salted Egg Yolk Crabs

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To Cook
Crack and beat egg in a medium sized bowl. Dip crab pieces in the egg, and then coat with tapioca starch.
Heat oil over high heat in deep wok to about 180°C. Deep-fry coated crab pieces for approximately 2 minutes or until just cooked through. Set aside.
Mash cooked salted egg yolks with a fork or in food processor. Set aside.
Remove deep friend oil from the wok and melt 2 tbsp butter in wok. Add curry leaves and chilli (if using) and saute for about 30 seconds. Then add sugar, chicken powder and evaporated milk.

Korean Spicy Garlic Fried Chicken (Kkanpunggi)

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To Prep
First, combine all the ingredients for the chicken marinade in a mixing bowl. Then add your chicken to the marinade and mix well. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for about 20 minutes.
In another bowl, mix all the ingredients for the garlic sauce and set aside for later.
When the chicken has marinated enough, get it from the fridge and combine with the batter ingredients. Using your hands or a spatula, mix the chicken and the batter well.

To Cook
Heat up enough oil for deep frying in a wok until it reads 175°C on a thermometer. Add the chicken to the hot oil one at a time. Remove them from the oil when they float and drain off the any excess oil.
Deep fry the chicken for another round to give them a nice crisp. Remove from the wok and drain off any excess oil. Place on paper towels to remove as much oil as possible and set aside for later.
In a hot pan, add the chilli oil, leek and dried chillies. Stir fry until fragrant over medium high heat.
Add the cubed vegetables to the pan and stir fry until the onions start to turn translucent.
Add the garlic sauce and mix well. Allow it to cook down into a thicker sauce.
Finally add the deep-fried chicken to the pan and toss it to coat the chicken with the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with steamed rice.

Japanese Prawn Fritters with Shiso and Salted Plum (Prawn Shinjo-Age)

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To Prep
Process the prawn flesh together with salt and sake in a food processor until you get a smooth paste.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix in the grated mountain potato, onion, egg, and potato flour.
Mix the ingredients well then chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

To Cook
You’ll need an oil or candy thermometer for this as the frying temperature is key to getting a well fried fritter.
Heat up enough oil in a wok to 170°C. Shape the prawn mixture into balls and roll in the shiso leaves.
Drop the balls into the heated oil and deep-fry until the prawn is cooked all the way through. You’ll also want the shiso leaves to be crispy, but still retain their color.
Remove the seeds from the umeboshi and finely chop the flesh. Serve the prawn fritters with the chopped umeboshi flesh.

Chicken Karaage with Sriracha Salt

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To Prep
Use paper towels to pat dry the chicken and transfer to a bowl. Add in the sake, soy sauce, ginger juice, sesame oil and marinate for 1 hr or overnight.

To Cook
Transfer the chicken pieces out of the marinade on to a plate and coat them evenly with potato starch. Shake off the excess potato starch.
Heat up a wok/pot of cooking oil. To test that the cooking oil is hot enough, insert a pair of wooden chopsticks into the oil and when you see bubbles appear around the chopstick, it’s hot and ready. When the cooking oil is hot enough for frying, drop the chicken into the oil and quickly deep fry them until they float. Transfer them out onto a plate and wait for a couple of minutes.
Put the chicken back into the oil and deep-fry again until golden brown and crunchy. Dish out to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Serve hot with Japanese mayonnaise, a slice of lemon and Sriracha Salt by The Salt Box

Son in Law Eggs

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To Prep
Place all sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir and bring to simmer until thick and sticky. Strain and set aside.

To Cook
Deep-fry shallots, garlic and red chillies separately and drain on paper towel.
Deep-fry the boiled eggs until they have become golden and have blistered slightly.
To serve, halve the eggs and place on to a serving plate and top with the deep-fried spices. Garnish with spring onions and serve with sauce.

Chicken Tempura (Toriten)

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To Prep
Tenderise chicken breast using the back of the knife, or pound with a meat tenderiser.
Cut meat into strips and marinate with salt, black pepper, sake and Japanese soy sauce. Add grated garlic and ginger and mix well to season the chicken.

To Cook
Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Then, set a smaller bowl over the ice water. Add egg to the second bowl and whisk. Gradually add cake flour and potato starch and whisk until well combined.
Carefully coat the chicken pieces with the batter.
Heat 4-5 cm of oil in a pot or frying pan. Use a bamboo chopstick to test the oil. If the oil is hot enough, there will be a steady stream of bubbles surrounding the chopsticks. Add small batches of 2-3 pieces of battered chicken to cook at one time. Deep-fry until golden brown. Then, repeat until all the chicken pieces are used up.
Serve toriten in a baking paper lined basket with shredded cabbage, ponzu sauce and Japanese hot mustard on the side.

Thai Style Deep Fried Whole Fish with Pineapples and Sweet Chilli Sauce

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To Prep
Rub salt and pepper generously on fish, then dredge with flour.

To Cook
Heat cooking oil in a wok on high heat. When the oil starts to smoke, slide the fish in. Fry for 4 mins on each side or until browned and crisp. Remove from wok and lay on a serving plate. Discard the oil.
Add in the pineapple juice, sweet chilli sauce and fish sauce, bring to a simmer.
Add the pineapple chunks and bird’s eye chilli slices. Simmer for 30 secs.
Pour the sauce with pineapple and chillies over the fish.
Garnish with spring onion and serve.

Thai Style Deep Fried Whole Fish with Cashew Nuts and Green Apple Salad

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To Prep
Rub salt and pepper generously on fish, then dredge with tapioca starch.

To Cook
Heat cooking oil in a wok over high heat. When oil starts to smoke, slide the fish in.
Fry for 4 mins on each side or until browned and crisp. Remove from wok and lay on a serving plate. Reserve about 2 tbsp of the oil and discard the rests.
Add in the lemon juice, garlic, chillies, fish sauce and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
Toss in onions, cashews, apple and carrot and lightly coat with sauce.
Pour over the fish and garnish with mint leaves. Serve.

Braised Tofu with Roast Pork and Mushrooms

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To Cook
Cut egg tofu into 2-3cm slices. Wipe dry with kitchen towels. Sprinkle corn starch on tofu and either deep fry or fry in a pan filled with enough oil to cover up to half the height of tofu. Fry until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain excess oil.
Heat a pan over medium heat. There is no need to add oil. Cook roast pork and stir occasionally, until the oil is released. Dish out and set aside.
Saute shredded ginger and shallots in the leftover oil from the roast pork until aromatic. Add garlic and increase heat to medium high. Toss the roast pork back in. Add baby corns, mushrooms, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine. Pour in water. When it boils, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until roast pork softens. Then add in tofu.
Add thickening ingredients and adjust according to your preferred consistency.
Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Deep Fried Kai Lan

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To Make
Cut the kai lan stems into sections.
Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add the baking soda. Parboil the kai lan stems for approximately 5 mins.
Drain and rinse the kai lan. Leave to the side.
Tear the kai lan leaves into fine strips.
In a deep pan or wok, heat up enough deep-frying oil. The kai lan is ready when it is crispy. Leave it to the side.
In a new pan or wok, heat it up with a little bit of cooking oil.
Stir-fry the garlic and ginger until the aromas are released.
Mix the light soya sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, corn flour and 1 cup of water.
Add the stems to the garlic and ginger with the sauce mixture. Remove from heat when there is only a little bit of moisture left.
To serve, plate the stems and then the deep-fried kai lan on top. Serve while hot with a small dish of the XO sauce.