Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Steam

Steamed Pandan Tray Cake (Nyonya Kuih Talam)

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Preparing the Green Layer
First extract the pandan juice by finely blending 15-20 pandan leaves with 300ml of water. Strain the blended mixture to get 300ml of pandan juice.
Make a simple sugar syrup by mixing the sugar, salt and plain water in a pot and bringing it to a boil, making sure all the sugar and salt has dissolved.
Then, combine the pandan juice with the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Slowly mix in the hot sugar syrup into the green mixture while stirring constantly.
Then strain the mixture into a metal mixing bowl.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, reducing the heat to medium when it does. Set the mixing bowl with the green mixture over the pot and cook until it has thickened. Remove from heat and mix until smooth.
Pour the thickened mixture into a greased 20cm baking tin and steam over medium heat for 15 mins. Try to make an uneven surface to help the two layers stick to each other.

Preparing the White layer
Combine the coconut milk, rice flour, green bean flour and salt. Then, slowly pour in the hot water gradually while stirring constantly.
Once smooth, strain the mixture into a metal mixing bowl.
Repeat the same cooking process as with the green mixture.
Pour the white mixture on top of the steamed green layer and steam over medium heat for 15 mins.
Set aside to cool, and serve. Make sure to cut the Kuih Talam with a greased knife as it is quite sticky.

Steamed Egg with Pork and Mushroom

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To Make the Steamed Egg
Crack eggs into a bowl. Add 500ml water, sesame oil and salt. Whisk and pour through a sieve, dividing evenly into 2 steam-proof dishes.
In the wok or steamer, steam the egg mixture on high heat for 3 mins. Then, turn off the heat and let it sit for 20 mins. Do not remove the lid.

To Make the Pork and Mushroom Topping
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant.
Add pork and stir fry until almost cooked.
Add in sliced shiitake mushrooms, then soy sauces and stir through.
Once pork is cooked, remove from heat and stir through sesame oil.

To Serve
Top steamed egg with pork and mushroom, then garnish with sliced spring onion. Serve!

Red Bean Daifuku

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To Cook
Combine glutinous rice flour and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk all together.
Add water and mix well until combined.
Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap. Put the bowl in the microwave and heat it on high heat (1100w) for 1 min. Take it out and stir with wet rubber spatula. Cover again and cook for 1 min.
Stir again, cover, and cook for 30 secs to finish cooking. The color of mochi should change from white to almost translucent.
Cover the work surface with parchment paper and dust it generously with corn starch. Then transfer the cooked mochi on top.
Sprinkle more corn starch on top of the mochi to prevent it from sticking.
One it’s cook down a bit, spread the mochi into a thin layer with your hands or with a rolling pin.
Transfer the mochi with parchment paper onto a large baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 mins until the mochi is set.
Take the mochi out from the refrigerator and cut out 7-8 circles with the cookie cutter.
Place a plastic wrap on a plate and then mochi wrapper on top, then lay another layer of plastic wrapper down. Repeat for all wrappers.
Place one sheet of plastic wrap on the work surface with a mochi layer on top. Using the cookie scoop, scoop out red bean paste on top of the mochi.
Pinch the four corners of the mochi layer together to wrap the red bean paste. Then, pinch the remaining corners together.
Put some corn starch on the sealed area and set aside. Continue making the rest of daifuku mochi.
Store in a cool dry place and enjoy within two days.

Yumcha Steam Beancurd Rolls (Fu Pei Guen)

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To Cook
In a large bowl, place all the ingredients for the filling and mix well.
On a flat surface, use a damp cloth to wipe a piece of bean curd skin to remove some excess salt and to soften the wrapper slightly.
Scoop and place about 3 tbsp of filling at the middle of the skin.
Roll the bean curd skin over the filling, then fold the sides to seal.
Roll tightly into a cylinder roughly 1.5″ wide and 4″ long. Brush a little egg white on the edge to secure the roll. This recipe should make about 10 rolls.
Shallow fry bean curd skin rolls in batches until golden. Remove and drain well.

To Prep the Sauce
Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan, then, saute garlic and ginger for a few seconds.
Add the chicken stock, white pepper and cooking wine. Bring to boil and thicken with a little corn flour solution.
Place ½ of the rolls in a shallow bowl, pour ½ of the sauce on top, then cover and steam over medium heat for 8 mins.