Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Steam

Chinese Steamed Ginger Clams

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To Prep
In a bowl, mix all the seasoning ingredients together and set aside. Make sure all the ingredients are well mixed.
Place the clams on a suitably sized stainless steel deep dish plate. Make sure the plate deep enough to hold any juices that may come out of the clams.
Add the seasoning and ginger to the clams and mix well.
Add the spring onions and garlic oil and prepare the steamer.

To Cook
Steam for about 15 mins or until cooked. Make sure the water is boiling before placing the plate of clams in the steamer.
When the clams are done, garnish with more coriander and spring onion. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Vegan Roast Duck

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To Prep
Prepare a blender and blend seasoning ingredients until smooth.
Carefully separate and unfold the beancurd sheets to get a single flat sheet. Make sure you have a large enough workspace.
Apply 1 tbsp seasoning onto a beancurd sheet using a pastry brush, then fold in half and repeat.
Continue folding and brushing until you get a square about the size of your hand. Make sure to brush each layer as you fold.
Use toothpicks to fasten the edges to keep the squares intact.
Repeat steps with the rest of the beancurd sheets.
Then steam for 10-15 min. Remove and allow to dry.

To Cook
Heat oil and then deep-fry until golden brown.
Transfer remaining seasoning sauce into a saucepan and bring to a low boil.
Add the fried beancurd squares into the saucepan and simmer until all sauce is absorbed.
Cut into slices and serve.

Radish Cake

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To Prep
Grate your radish using a handheld grater, then using your hands squeeze out any excess water. Place in a bowl and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine rice flour, tapioca flour and water to form a flour paste and set aside.

To Cook
Start boiling 500ml of water in a pot and separately heat up some cooking oil in wok, and stir fry the shallots for a few minutes. Add the Chinese sausage, mushrooms and dried shrimp to the wok and stir fry until aromatic.
Next add the ingredients for the seasoning and stir fry for a few more minutes. Then pour all the fried ingredients into the pot of boiling water.
If the water has stopped boiling, bring it back up to a boil. Then pour the contents of the pot into the flour paste we made in step (2). Using a large spoon, mix to combine the flour paste with the water and other ingredients.
Next, add the grated radish into the flour mixture in 4 separate batches. Make sure each batch of grated radish has been properly combined with the mixture before adding the next batch.
Then add in the radish in 4 portions and use wooden spoon to separate the radish evenly and stir well.
Pour the radish cake mixture into a 20cm by 10cm loaf pan. Then place the loaf pan into a steamer on high heat and steam for 35 minutes.
Once the radish cake is done, remove it from the steamer and allow it to cool.
Slice the radish cake into 2cm thick slices. Pan fry each slice until golden on each side and serve with dipping sauce of your choice. Usually dipping sauces used are a simply chilli sauce, but can be easily replaced with Sriracha sauce or similar. Enjoy! These steamed radish cakes also go well with a bowl of piping hot rice or porridge

Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce

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To Cook
Combine all the ingredients and marinate pork spare ribs for 1 hr. Transfer spare ribs into a shallow, heatproof dish.
Place steaming rack in wok and fill with water almost up to height of rack. Heat water on high and when boiling, turn heat to medium.
Set dish with spare ribs on steaming rack, cover and steam for 25-30mins or until ribs are fully cooked.
Serve immediately with steam rice.

Soft Shell Crab 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 125 g of tempura flour and ice water together in a mixing bowl and lightly stir them together. Don’t over mix as pockets of flour will make the batter airy. Pour the remaining 50 g of flour in to a separate bowl.

To Cook
Heat the oil to about 180°C, then dredge the crab halves one by one in the tempura flour, then into the batter and fry till golden brown. Let cool on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

To Make the Roll
Halve the seaweed sheets. Place sushi rice and then the lettuce, cucumber and half a crab onto one side of nori.
Fold the nearest corner of the nori over the filling and start to shape.
The hand roll should be shaped cone shaped to stop any rice from falling out.

Korean Steamed Egg (Gyeran Jjim)

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To Cook
Heat the Ttukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot) over high heat, or alternatively a small sized seasoned cast iron pot.
While waiting for the pot to heat up, combine egg, salt, fish sauce and mirin in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
Pour the stock into the egg mixture and whisk until mixed thoroughly.
The ttukbaegi should be well heated by now, reduce heat to low and slowly pour the egg mixture. Cover and steam for approximately 5 mins.
Turn heat off, garnish with chopped spring onions and serve immediately.

Easter Bunny Steamed Custard Bun

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For the Custard Filling
In a small pot, combine custard powder, wheat starch, cake flour and granulated sugar together. Heat over low heat and then add milk. Stir continuously until all ingredients mixed well.
In a mixing bowl, crack 1 egg and add in 1 egg yolk and beat using a fork. Stir in beaten egg mixture slowly into the pot, constantly stirring while throughout the time. Next, add in butter and heat until well mixed. Remove the mixture from the heat and fold the custard over and over again using your hands, until it forms a smooth ball.
Place the custard filling in fridge for at least 1 hour or until hardened.

For the Bun Dough
Add sugar and yeast to the warm water, leave it for around 10 minutes until the yeast is well activated. Mix in all other ingredients to the warm yeast water. Combine everything together and knead until the dough becomes smooth.
In a large bowl, brush on some oil and transfer the dough in for proofing. Let it sit for 2-3 hours until the dough raises and doubles in size.

For the Custard Buns
When the dough is doubled in size, transfer to a slightly floured board. Using your hands, knead the dough until the surface becomes very smooth. Roll the dough until it forms a long log, then cut into 12 equal portions.
Divide the hardened custard filling into 12 equal portions and shape each portion in to a small ball.
Return back to the dough, take one single portion and press down slightly. Then using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a round wrapper, 10cm in diameter, edges thinner than the centre.
Place one portion of the custard filling in the centre of the round dough wrapper and then seal completely. Slightly wet the tip of a toothpick to attach the black sesame seeds as the eyes of the bunnies. Repeat the process until all buns are finished.
Set up the wok or steamer on high heat, place buns in to steam for approximately 15-20 minutes. Turn heat off and let it sit in the steamer for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat and slit the surface of the bun with a small knife to form the ears. Serve immediately.

Steamed Three Eggs

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To Prep
Break up the egg in a measuring cup. Then crack the salted egg yolk, carefully pour the yolk into the other half of the shell, letting the white drip into the measuring cup. Repeat this step, shifting the yolk from one shell to the other, until all of the white is sitting in the measuring cup. The cracked egg and salted egg white will be measuring at about 100ml. If so then add 150ml water into the egg mixture, gently stir well and set aside. Ratio of the eggs and water should be 1:1.5
In a separate bowl, break up the raw salted egg yolk using a fork. Then peel and cut up the century egg. Place both the salted egg yolk and the century egg in a shallow plate. Set aside.
Heat up the steamer or wok with boiling water.
While waiting for water to boil, gently stir the egg mixture in the measuring cup again and pass through a sieve into the shallow plate. Place a piece of aluminium foil on top of the shallow plate to prevent the water drips from the lid onto the egg mixture.

To Cook
Put the dish into the steamer or wok. Lower the heat to medium and steam for 5 minutes and then another 3 minutes at low heat to just set. Occasionally lift up the lid to let the steam to escape.
Garnish with chopped spring onions, a dash of pepper and drizzle with some sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish

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To Cook
Place minced pork in large bowl, and mix in ingredients for seasonings. Set aside.
Rinse the salted fish, then pan fry briefly for about 2-3 minutes in a small pan. Remove from heat and cut into small pieces.
Mix in the chopped shiitake mushrooms, chopped water chestnuts, half of the salted fish and 1 tsp of the grated ginger in the bowl of marinated minced pork. Mix thoroughly.
Transfer the minced pork mix on to a shallow plate and level the surface with a wet spoon without pressing the mixture down. Cover with cling wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Sprinkle the remaining salted fish and 1 tsp shredded ginger on top of the meat patty. Drizzle with fried garlic oil or fried onion oil.
In a wok or steamer, steam on high heat for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until well cooked through.
When done, garnish with chopped spring onions and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Steamed Chicken with Salted Fish and Black Fungus

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To Prep
Chop 500g chicken thighs cutlets into bite sized pieces.
Marinade the chopped thigh cutlets with 2 tsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1½ tbsp Shaoxing wine, 2 tsp ginger juice, 1 tsp soya sauce, ½ tsp sugar and ½ tbsp cornflour.
Cover with cling wrap and let it marinate overnight in the fridge.
Soak 10g black fungus in hot water for about an hour or overnight in room temperature water until soften. Discard or cut away the hard ends of the soften black fungus. For the soaked black fungus, cut into bite sizes and set aside.
Slice 40g salted fish and heat 3 tbsp oil on medium heat and fry salted fish until golden brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen towels and set aside.
Remove marinated chicken from fridge. Add in the soften black fungus, half of the julienned ginger and half of the crispy fried salted fish. Mix well.
Scatter the rest of julienned ginger and salted fish on top.

To Cook
Steam for 25 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steaming white rice.

Korean Steamed Eggplant (Gaji Namul)

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To Cook
Cut the eggplants into 4 pieces, lengthwise. Then cut crosswise into about 5cm pieces.
In a pot with, bring some water to boil, then place a steaming tray or basket in the pot. Place the eggplant pieces in the steamer, and steam for about 3 minutes, until tender but still slightly firm.
Remove from heat, transfer to a separate bowl to cool.
Then add all remaining ingredients to the eggplant, and gently toss everything together.

Steamed Minced Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens

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To Cook
Rinse the mui choy thoroughly to remove any sand and dirt. Soak in water for 10 mins in order to decrease the saltiness. Rinse thoroughly again and then squeeze out any excess water with your hands. Roughly chop the mui choy and then fry them in a wok or pan over low heat for a few minutes, without any oil to bring out the aroma. Remove from wok or pan and let it cool.
Once the fried mui choy has cooled down, mix in the marinade for mui choy. Set aside.
In a big bowl, place the minced pork, finely chopped water chestnuts, minced ginger and mix in all the ingredients for minced pork marinade. Add the water bit by bit so that the pork absorbs all the water well. Combine well and stir towards one direction. Set aside for 20 minutes. And then stir in the marinated mui choy to the minced pork mixture.
Transfer the pork mixture onto a shallow plate and level the surface with a wet spoon without pressing the mixture down. Use a pair of chopsticks to poke some holes in the meat so that it is thoroughly cooked. Cover the plate with foil and for about 10-12 mins over high heat, or until well cooked through. Turn the heat off but let the pork stay in the wok or steamer for further 5 mins before removing. Serve immediately with steamed rice.