Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Deep-Fry

Spiral Yam Mooncake

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To Prep Water Dough
Mix ingredients in a large bowl and knead until well combined.
Divide into 3 equal portions and allow to rest for 20 mins.

To Prep Oil Dough
Mix ingredients in a large bowl and knead until well combined.
Divide into 3 equal portions and allow to rest for 20 mins.

For the Filling
Place egg yolks in a steamer on medium-low heat for 10-15 mins. Set aside to cool when finished.
Sprinkle salt onto yam before steaming for 20 mins on medium heat. Once finished, mash with a fork or in food processor.
Mix the yam paste with half of the cooking oil (40ml) in a non-stick pan on low heat until oil is fully absorbed. Turn off the heat while yam paste is still hot, add caster sugar, wheat starch and remaining oil to combine. Allow to cool and divide into 70g portions.
Flatten out yam portions and place steamed yolk in the middle. Wrap and gently use hands to shape into a ball. Repeat for the rest.

To Assemble
Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper
Shape and roll/flatten out one portion of water dough. Then wrap the water dough over a portion of rounded oil dough on. Seal and shape into circles. Repeat process as needed.
Using a rolling pin, roll the ball into even and thin rectangular shapes. With the shorter side pointing at you, roll the dough away from you like a Swiss roll. Flatten with rolling pin and repeat again.
Cut rolled dough into 4 equal portions. Repeat with remain dough.
Flatten dough slices thinly with a rolling pin into a disk. Place yam filling in the centre, and cover with dough. Trim off any excess dough. Repeat with rest of dough and filling, and bake for 30 mins or until golden brown.
Cool completely before cutting and serving.

Lemongrass Fried Chicken

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To Prep
Mix chicken wings with Marinade ingredients evenly and leave in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
Combine the plain flour and corn flour, mix well.
Remove chicken wings from fridge and toss in flour mixture to coat evenly.

To Cook
Heat cooking oil in a wok on medium, making sure that the amount of oil covers the chicken wings completely when deep frying.
Deep-fry the sliced lemongrass until golden brown and set aside. Remove residual from oil.
Add in the chicken wings and deep-fry until cooked thoroughly. Remove and drain.
Serve on a plate and sprinkle with deep fried lemongrass. Garnish with stalks of fresh lemongrass (optional).

Modern Fried Bok Choy Dumplings

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To Prep
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or pan and stir-fry bok choy and shiitake mushrooms until fragrant. Set aside in a bowl to cool. Add mashed shrimp to the bok choy and shiitake mushrooms and combine with seasoning mix. Stir until the mixture has thickened.
Spread the mixture over bean curd skin. Cover with another piece of bean curd skin.
Steam bean curd skin over high heat for 5 mins until cooked. Set aside to cool then, cut into 6 pcs of dumplings.
Prepare the dipping sauce by mixing both ingredients together. Set aside.
Coat dumplings with batter. Heat oil to 180°C and fry until golden browned. Drain and serve with dipping sauce.

Chilli Garlic Cheese Triangles

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To Cook
Cut each spring roll wrapper into 4 triangles to obtain 16 small triangles in total. Cut cheddar cheese and white bread into 8 small triangles respectively.
Put a piece of bread on a piece of spring roll wrapper. Put ¼ tsp Lee Kum Kee Chilli Garlic Sauce on the bread. Cover with a piece of cheese. Brush the three edges of spring roll wrapper with beaten egg. Cover with another piece of spring roll wrapper and press the edges firmly. Repeat to make 8 triangles.
Deep fry chilli garlic cheese triangles in oil over low heat until golden and crisp. Drain. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Fried Fish in Double Deluxe Fruity Sauce

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To Cook
Mix fish with marinade and dust with corn starch.
Deep fry fish in hot oil until golden brown and cooked through. Drain and place on a serving plate.
Bring sauce mixture to a boil, stirring to combine well.
Turn off the heat and stir in green grapes, strawberries, and peaches. Pour over fried fish. Serve.

Tempura Panko Vegetables

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To Make the Tentsuyu Dipping Sauce
Add kombu into a saucepan with ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and add in the bonito flakes. Allow to steep for 10 mins, and then strain through a sieve.
Return this dashi stock back into the saucepan and add remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil, and then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To Cook the Tempura Vegetables
Heat oil in a saucepan or pot to 170°C.
Add panko breadcrumbs into a bowl.
In a separate mixing bowl, add flour and egg white. Slowly pour over soda water while whisking slowly until just combined with some lumps in the batter.
Dip eggplant and sweet potato slices into tempura batter and then coat in panko breadcrumbs.
Carefully drop into hot oil and fry until crispy and golden brown. Fry in batches until remaining ingredients are finished. Carefully remove and drain on paper towel.
Serve with Tentsuyu dipping sauce.

Cantonese Salt and Pepper Squid

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To Prepare
Clean the squid well, removing any dark spots. Cut the squid into desired pieces and make sure the squid pieces are dry.
Prepare all the ingredients according to the ingredient list.
Marinate the squids with salt and pepper for around 10 mins. Add starch and egg, mix well.
Heat up oil in a deep wok or pan until it reaches 170℃. You can test the oil temperature by adding one piece. The squid should float to the top of the oil. Cook in small batches.
In a wok, place 1 tbsp cooking oil and fry garlic, fresh pepper and onion until it is aromatic. Season with salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients with the squid.
Serve and eat while it is still hot.

Tempura Prawn Soba

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To Prepare
For the stock, combine the water and kombu in a pot to soak for 30 mins. Prepare all the ingredients.
Prepare the shrimp for cooking by making small cuts in the prawn and straightening the prawn flesh.
Add the flour, baking powder, ½ tsp salt and chilled water in a bowl and combine until the mixture is smooth.
Cover the shrimp in batter and deep fry. When it is cooked, ensure that no excess oil is on the shrimp.
Bring the 500ml water to a boil on medium heat.
As the water approaches a boil, remove from heat and add the bonito flakes.
Return to heat and simmer for 1-2 mins, ensuring it does not boil.
Strain the stock into a pot and add the salt, soy sauce, mirin and sake. Once the soup has boiled for 1-2 mins, remove it from heat.
Cook the soba noodles according to the packet instructions.
Divide the prawns, soba noodles and soup between the two bowls and add spring onions for garnish.

Vegan Buddha Bowl

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To Cook
Cover tofu with paper towel to draw out excess liquid for 15 mins, and then cut into small cubes. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cornflour, pepper and salt. Heat oil in a saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. Dip tofu cubes into cornflour mixture and then carefully drop into hot oil. Once golden brown, remove from oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towel.
Combine soy sauce and sliced chillies in a small bowl and set aside.
To assemble, add cooked brown rice into a bowl. Top with carrot, grilled bok choy, cucumber, salt and pepper tofu, avocado and radish. Serve with chilli soy sauce.

Vegetarian Fritter Hand Roll

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To Prep
Add the sushi vinegar to the cooked sushi rice and gentle fold in to the rice until well incorporated.
Combine 3 tbsp of the tempura flour with the ice water in a mixing bowl and lightly stir them together. Try not to over mix the batter.
Put the remaining tablespoon of flour in to a separate bowl along with the cut vegetables. Season lightly before mixing to coat all of the ingredients.
Pour in the batter and lightly mix through to further coat the ingredients.

To Cook
Heat a pan with about 2 cm of oil to deep-fry up to about 180°C.
Place spoonfuls of the vegetable mix in to the pan and cook until golden on both sides. Let cool on paper towels to drain the excess oil.
When the fritters have cooled, cut them in to halves or in to sections that will fit in to the hand roll.

To Assemble
Cut nori sheets in half. Place sushi rice and the rest of the fillings onto one side of nori.
Fold the nearest corner of the nori over the filling and start to shape.
The finished hand roll should be shaped conically to prevent any rice from falling out from the bottom.
Serve with teriyaki sauce or eel sauce on top!

Vegan Tofu and Spring Roll Vermicelli Salad

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To Cook
Combine ingredients for nuoc cham dressing in a medium-sized bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts and soy sauce. Cook for 5 mins or until softened. Add salt to taste. Set aside to cool.
Arrange spring roll pastry on diagonal. Place 1 tbsp of filling towards the bottom and roll upwards, making sure to wrap tightly. Fold in the sides before sealing the end with water. Place on a plate seam side down.
Heat oil in a pot or saucepan over medium heat. Deep-fry spring rolls in batches until golden brown, and then drain on paper towel.
Mix salt and five spice powder on a plate. Coat both sides of tofu squares in mixture. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat, and then pan fry tofu until golden brown on both sides.
To plate up dish, place a serving of vermicelli in a bowl. Top with lettuce, cucumber, carrots, pan-fried tofu and spring rolls, and then garnish with peanuts. Serve with vegan nuoc cham dressing.