Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Steam

Chinese Steamed Fish

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To Prep
Make sure that the fish is properly cleaned (scales, guts, gills, etc. to be removed), thoroughly rinsed and then pat dry.
Place the fish on a plate and drizzle 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine on top of the fish. Then spread half of the finely cut ginger strips onto the top of the fish.

To Cook
Prepare a wok or steamer and heat up enough water for steaming. As soon as it boils, place your plate of fish inside the wok on top of a steamer rack or on the steamer. Cover your wok or steamer tightly and steam it for 8 mins for a small fish, and a couple more mins for a bigger fish.
While waiting for the fish, in a small bowl, mix the soy sauce mixture and set aside.
As soon as the fish is done steaming, transfer it out from the wok or steamer. Drain and discard the fish water and ginger strips. Lay the remaining fresh ginger strips over the top across the fish.
Using a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil over high heat, swirl around until it’s hot. Pour the hot oil over the steamed fish. Put the pan back onto the stove, add the soy sauce mixture and stir well. As soon as the sauce boils, pour the soy sauce over the fish.
Top the fish with a handful of spring onions and coriander leaves and serve the steamed fish immediately with steamed white rice.

Steamed Korean Kimchi Dumplings (Kimchi Mandu)

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To Prep
Finely chop the kimchi and squeeze out as much liquid as possible by hand.
Then using a cheesecloth, squeeze out water from tofu.
Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water, drain, then finely chop and squeeze out water. The ingredients, especially the ones where liquid has been squeezed out, should be dry and crumbly.
Finely chop the onion and spring onions.
Combine all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix well by hand.
Place the other half of the egg in a separate bowl, to be used for sealing the dumpling wrappers in the next step.
Place one teaspoonful of the filling on a dumpling wrapper.
Wet the edges of the wrapper with the egg wash and seal tightly, pushing the air out with your fingertips, and into a half-moon shape.
Then, join the two ends together, by applying the egg wash to one end and then press tightly to create a round shape.
Repeat this process until all the fillings and wrappers are used. This recipe should make about 25 – 30 pieces of mandu.

To Cook
Line baking paper or cheesecloth on the steamer to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the base of the steamer.
Freshly made Kimchi dumplings can be steamed for about 8 minutes in a steamer. Alternatively, the dumplings can be frozen and cooked later by placing in steamer for about 12 mins or until cooked.
Combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well. Serve the mandu with the dipping sauce.

Steamed Prawns with Garlic

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To Prep
Clean prawns by trimming off legs and feelers with a pair of kitchen scissors. Cut along the back of the prawn and devein them. Wash and pat dry the prawns. Set aside.
Marinate prawns with salt, white pepper and Chinese rice wine for at least 15 mins.
Mix sesame oil, soy sauce and 1 tbsp of shaoxing wine to the fresh garlic.
Place spring onions (uncut) as a base on a plate and arrange the prawns on top of the spring onions.
Scoop the garlic mixture and pour 1 tbsp shaoxing wine over the prawns.

To Cook
Steam prawns for about 6 mins before sprinkling some spring onions on top. Serve immediately.

Emperor Herbal Chicken

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To Prep
Steam the herbs with 500ml water for 5 mins.
Place chicken over an aluminium foil and stuff half of the herbs in chicken. Place the rest around the chicken.
Pour the water used to steam the herbs inside foil with the chicken.

To Cook
Wrap the foil up into bundle and steam chicken for 2 hrs.
Add salt to taste, then serve.

Teochew Style Steamed Fish

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To Prep
Clean the fish, make a few cuts and rub a little salt all over. Set aside for 15-30 mins.
Mix marinade and set aside.
Line the bottom half of the green onion and some sliced ginger on a plate. Place fish on top. Insert the rest of the sliced ginger into the cavity of the fish.
Scatter julienned ginger, tomato wedges, mushrooms and cubed pickled mustard evenly over the fish. Line diced tofu and crushed salted plum on both sides of the fish.
Drizzle the marinade all over the fish.

To Cook
Bring water to boil. Lower fish into steamer and steam on high heat for 8-10 mins.
Garnish with green onion and finely sliced ginger. Serve hot.

Lotus Leaf Wrapped Sticky Rice (Hor Yip Fan)

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To Prep
In a medium bowl, stir together the marinade ingredients and add the chicken pieces. Stir well and refrigerate. Soak the sticky rice for 2 hrs, drain and mix with 2 tbsp dark soy sauce and set aside.

To Cook
Over high heat, add 2 tbsp oil to your wok. When the wok is smoking slightly, add half the mushrooms and stir-fry until they’re browned, tender, and most of the moisture has evaporated.
Heat your wok over high heat again with a couple tablespoons oil. Fry until chicken is golden brown before mixing in the mushrooms, scallions and salt. Stir-fry for a couple minutes to let the flavors meld together.
Combine with the soaked rice. Now you’re ready to wrap them in the lotus leaves. Brush a small section on one end of each leaf lightly with oil. Put about ¾ cup of the mixture on the oiled area. Wrap each into a rectangle, tie with kitchen string, and steam for about 90 mins.
You can serve with a little chili oil or allow them to cool, place into freezer bags, and freeze for later! When you’re ready to eat them, just steam them right out of the freezer for about 30 mins.

Steamed Chicken with Black Fungus and Dried Lily Buds

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To Prep
Make sure your chicken is dry then mix with the seasoning ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cover and allow the chicken to marinate for 20 minutes.

To Cook
Blanch the soaked lily buds and black fungus in boiling water for a couple of minutes.
Cut the soaked mushrooms and blanched black fungus into strips.
Add the lily buds, black fungus, mushrooms, and ginger to the marinated chicken and mix well.
Steam the chicken in a steamer until the chicken is cooked through (about 20 minutes). Make sure the water is boiling in the steamer before placing the chicken in.
Garnish with the chopped spring onions and serve hot with some white rice.

Steamed Chinese Lunar New Year Cake with Coconut (Steamed Nian Gao Balls with Coconut)

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To Cook
Place sugar, palm sugar, knotted pandan leaves and water in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Remove pandan leaves, strain and set aside to cool.
Combine grated white coconut, palm sugar flavoured grated coconut and salt in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
Cut hardened nian gao into thin slices and place on a large, heat-proof plate lined with oiled banana leaf.
Prepare steamer and bring water to boil. Place the plate of sliced nian gao into the steamer. Cover with lid and steam on medium heat for 10 mins.
Remove the soft and melted nian gao from steamer. Using two teaspoons, roll the nian gao piece by piece in the coconut mixture while shaping it to form a ball. To evenly coat the nian gao.
Place the coconut coated nian gao into the prepared casing and serve warm.

Chinese Lunar New Year Cake (Nian Gao)

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To Cook
Get ready steamer, put water and bring to boil under high heat.
For the nian gao base, cut up the banana leaves into sections of 15-20 cm. If using fresh leaves, boil a pot of water and blanch the leaves first. This will make the leaves less brittle and easier to mould. Pat leaves dry with cloth or kitchen towel.
Using a recycled tin can, wrap one banana leaf at a time around the can and fold the access leaf on top, into the can. Use a smaller can to press excess leaf firmly into the bottom of the can to form part of the base. Repeat steps with another 1-2 banana leaves. Use a rubber band to secure the banana leaves around the can. Then, cut a round piece of banana leaf, slightly bigger than the diameter of the can, and press it to the bottom of the can to form the base. You’ll need to prepare 5-7 of these moulds for this recipe, depending on the size of the cans you use.
In a pot over medium heat, add sugar and water to cook until it turns golden brown and forms a thick syrup. Keep stirring to avoid burning. Then, pour the syrup in a big mixing bowl, add glutinous rice flour, and stir until as well combined.
Strain the mixture and portion them into the banana leaf moulds. Cover each mould with aluminium foil and steam in the steamer for 1-2 hrs or until the nian gao is set.
Nian gao is sticky and soft when hot. It will gradually harden as it cools. It is rarely enjoyed on its own but it’s cut into slices (when cold and set) and made into other delectable snacks; deep-fried with egg, steamed with coconut, deep-fried with potato and yam or baked in puff pastry.

Kuih Abok-Abok

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To Cook
Wash sago and soak it for 5 mins. Drain the water and set aside.
In a bowl, mix the shredded coconut with sago and salt.
To soften banana leaves, dip the leaves in a pot of boiling water. Get banana leaves and roll them up into a cone.
Put 1 tbsp of mixed sago ingredients into the banana leaves cone. Then add ½ tsp palm sugar. Finally, top it with another 1 tbsp of mixed sago ingredients.
Seal the opening of the cone with a toothpick.
In a big wok or steamer, steam the kuih for about 15 mins.

California Crab Maki Roll

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To Prep the Fillings
Firstly, cut avocado into half, pit and scoop out with a spoon and slice to 0.5cm thick slices. Squeeze lemon juice over avocado to prevent browning.
Then cut cucumber into thin long strips, and slice to remove cucumber seeds.
In a bowl, add crab meat and Japanese mayonnaise, and mix well.
Trim nori sheet according to intended size of the California Crab Maki Roll.

Assembling the sushi:
To prevent rice from sticking to the bamboo mat, wrap mat with cling film.
Tip: Also, rub both hands with mayonnaise before handling rice to prevent them from sticking.
On the bamboo mat, lay one nori sheet down and spread about 1 cup of rice evenly onto the nori sheet. Use your fingers to press and push to rice to form an even layer of rice.
Sprinkle the rice with toasted sesame seeds.
Then, turn the nori sheet over so that the rice now faces down towards the bamboo mat. Align the edge of the nori sheet to the bottom of the bamboo mat.
Add crab meat and arrange avocado and cucumber in a row, close to the bottom of the nori sheet.
Then, pull up the bottom edge of the mat, while using your fingers to roll and tuck the fillings in. Lift the mat slightly to go over the roll, and continue rolling forward while keeping a firm hold.
Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into equal portions. To ensure a clean cut every time, keep a damp cloth handy and clean the knife after every cut.
Serve up your California Crab Maki Rolls on a platter or, stack them up and decorate your very own Sushi Christmas Tree as shown in the video below!