Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Steam

Szechuan Dumpling Soup

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To Make Stock
Roast pork bones, and leek until brown (this will help give the stock a deeper flavour).
Place the bones in a large pot and cover with water, bring to boil and strain water (this helps to remove impurities from the stock).
Wash the bones and add them to a pressure cooker (or a large pot)
Add the rest of the stock ingredients to the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 1½ hours (or cook for 3 hrs if suing a pot).

To Make Tare
Mix together all tare ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

To Make Dumplings
Mix all dumpling filling ingredients together. Place 2 tsp in each dumpling wrapper. Wet your finger and wet one edge of the wrapper. Press both sides together to seal the dumplings.
Steam dumplings in a bamboo steamer over boiling water.
Cook ramen noodles until cooked.

To Serve
Place 3 tbsp of tare into the bottom of a bowl. Pour over some of the ramen broth and stir to combine.
Place drained noodles in the bowl, along with beansprouts, bokchoy, and dumplings. Garnish with coriander, spring onion, and peanuts. Top with extra chilli oil (optional).
Serve with a pickled chilli and cucumber salad for a refreshing finish.

Lantern Delight

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To Cook
Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Cut and discard the top and bottom parts of the eggplant.
Place 2 chopsticks on either side of the eggplant and slice the eggplant to 5-7 mm thickness. Then remove the chopsticks and cut the eggplant all the way through every 6th slice. Set aside.
To make the filling, put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix evenly.
Put the filling inside each slice of the eggplant. It will look like half size of a ball. Place the balls on a heat-proof dish and steam for 20 mins on medium heat.
While waiting for the lantern to cook, prepare one large carrot. Use a citrus zester to create between 8 to 10 long trenches down the side of the carrot. Then starting from the bottom of the carrot, cut 8 pieces of the carrot about 1 cm thick to make the connectors for the tassels. Cut the bottom of the connectors to sit flat on the plate. Make long thin strips from the rest of the carrot to use it as tassels for the lanterns. (Tip: Microwave the carrot to make it easier to carve and cut).
Once the lanterns are cooked, arrange them on a big plate, position the carrot as pictured to make them look like lanterns.
To make the sauce, put all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and cook on a saucepan on medium heat and stir until thickened.
Pour the sauce on the lanterns. Garnish with cucumber if desired.

Nasu Dengaku Bao (Miso-glazed Eggplant Bao)

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To Make Dough
Mix the yeast with warm water and let it rest for 5 mins.
In the meantime, in a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and sugar. Once well combined, create a well in the middle to add in the wet ingredients.
In the well, add in the oil followed by warm water and active yeast mixture.
Mix everything slowly in the bowl until the dough starts to form, then place it on a flat surface to knead.
Knead the dough for about 5 mins (it should end up soft and only slightly sticky). Once done, cover the dough and let rest in a warm place until it doubles in size (approx. 1 hr).
After the dough has doubled in size, place it on a flat surface and knead again for about 5 mins to remove air bubbles. Then use a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it’s approx. 1 cm thick.
Next, use a round cookie cutter (approx. 10 cm diameter) or a big glass to cut circles into the dough. Take out any leftover dough, roll it flat again and cut more circles out of it.
Brush the circular dough with oil and fold it in half with the oily side inwards (this will allow the bao to open easily once cooked).
Once all the bao dough are folded, place each onto a square baking sheet, cover and let rest for 15 mins.
After resting, cook the bao by steaming them for 12 mins.

To Make Miso-glazed Eggplant
In a small pot, mix the miso paste, sake, mirin, sugar and water together on low heat for about 5 mins. Set the sauce aside.
Cut the eggplants in thick round slices and grill for 2 mins on each side. Brush the sauce on the eggplant and grill for another 20 secs on each side, then set aside to serve with the bao.

To Serve
In a bao, drizzle some Kewpie mayonnaise, add in some shredded cabbage and miso-glazed eggplant, topped with red ginger pickle, coriander, spring onions and fresh chillies.

Delicious Beer Baby Potatoes

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To Cook
Steam the baby potato for about 20 mins until almost cooked.
Place the potatoes on the chopping board. Using the side of the knife, lightly press the potato one by one (just lightly press slightly flat, do not press too hard).
Heat the pan on medium high with 2 tbsp oil, then add the potato into the pan and fry each side until golden brown, then place on the plate.
In the same pan, add garlic, chilli and onion, and stir fry until fragrant for about 2 mins. Then add the potatoes, beer, ground cumin, sugar, salt and soy sauce, stir well. Let it cook for about 10 mins until the sauce thickens then turn off the heat.
Sprinkle chopped coriander, sesame seeds and chilli oil to serve.

Vegetarian Wontons with Chilli Oil

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To Cook
Finely chop mushrooms and onion into a bowl, then add grated carrot.
Mix in soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce.
Fill wonton wrappers with 1 tsp of mixture into the middle. Seal edges with water into a triangle, then seal triangle into a diamond shape
Boil wontons for 3 mins.
Serve with chilli oil and spring onion.

Beetroot, Walnut and Smoked Tofu Potstickers

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To Cook
Blitz walnuts into a fine crumb and finely shred the cooked beetroot using a food processor.
Finely dice the tofu, and combine with the beetroot, walnuts, garlic, ginger, and chives. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet soy sauce, and mix well. Season with white pepper.
Use a clean finger to wet the edge of the dumpling wrapper with water. Scoop approximately two heaped teaspoons of dumpling mixture into the centre of the wrapper, and fold the wrapper in half, pinching in the middle. Pleat each side of the dumpling wrapper, forming a complete seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
Pour 1 tbsp of oil in a small frying pan. Once the oil is hot, place as many dumplings as can fit on one layer in the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes until the bottom of the dumplings are golden, then pour 100ml of water and cover the pan with a lid. Steam for approximately 6 mins, until the water has evaporated.
Place dumpling on a serving plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and the remaining chives, and serve with the dipping sauce.

Steamed Tofu Egg Pudding

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To Cook
Put 2L of water into the steam pot, heat the water until boiled.
Use some paper towels to dry the tofu, then cut them in approx 2 cm cubes, put into the centre of the bowl and stack some high.
Put the egg, salt, soy sauce and 180ml of water into the another bowl, whip the all ingredients combined, and then pour the egg around the tofu.
Add the chopped okra onto the egg, then cover with cling wrap, then steam for about 10 minutes or until the egg is set.
Sprinkle some spring onion, serve with some soy sauce and sesame oil.

Jellyfish with Shredded Chicken

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To Prep
Prepare salted jellyfish according to the instructions on the package.
Slice chicken breast fillets into 1cm thick slices for faster cooking in later steps.
Marinate chicken breast fillets with cooking wine, salt and top with a few strips of ginger. Marinate for at least 1 hr.

To Cook
Bring the water in the steamer to boil. Steam the marinated chicken breast fillets on high heat for about 10 mins or until cooked.
Once the chicken breast fillets are cooked through, take them out and reserve the liquid from the steaming. Soak the chicken breast fillets in ice water for 5 mins then drain.
Shred the cooked chicken breast fillets and place them on the bottom of your dish.
Place cucumber strips on the shredded chicken breast fillets, followed by the shredded carrot and finally, top them with the prepared salted Jellyfish.
Garnish with coriander and sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds.
For the sauce, heat the light soy sauce in the microwave for 20 secs.
Add in sugar and stir until sugar has dissolved. Add in white vinegar, sesame oil and 2 tbsp of the reserved liquid from the steamed chicken breast fillets. Mix well. Drizzle over the dish. Enjoy!

Chawanmushi

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To Cook
Preheat a suitable size steamer (or simply wok with a cooling rack and lid) to cater to chosen serving bowls.
Add beaten eggs to room temperature (or cooler) dashi stock. Mix until well combined and pass-through strainer for a smooth bubble-free mixture. Set aside.
In each bowl, add remaining ingredients (except for seasoning) and pour over the dashi egg mix.
Gently mix bowl contents to ensure all is combined. Cover each with cling film and place in the steamer for 10-12 mins.
When steaming is complete, carefully remove bowls and discard the cling film. Sprinkle lightly with seasonings and serve while hot. Enjoy!

Molten Salted Egg Yolk Lava Mooncakes

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To Prepare Salted Egg Yolk Filling
Prepare steamer and steam salted egg yolks for 10 mins. Allow to cool then mash into fine crumbs.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-3.jpg
In a medium bowl, whisk together salted egg yolk crumbs, butter, condensed milk, milk and custard powder until it becomes a smooth paste-like texture.
Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour or until set.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-9.jpg
After the mixture has set, use a teaspoon to divide the filling into 15 equal portions (about 11g per portion). Scoop salted egg yolk cream and drop it onto a lined tray. Freeze for 1hr or until ready to assemble.

To Prepare Custard
Prepare steamer and steam salted egg yolks for 10 mins. Allow to cool and mash into fine crumbs (can steam together with the salted egg yolks used for the Salted Egg Yolk Filling).https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-3.jpg
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and cake flour until pale and fluffy with no visible lumps.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-10-1.jpg
In a saucepan, heat and stir the heavy cream and butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the cream starts to bubble but not boiling, carefully pour it into the egg mixture parts at a time and whisk as you pour.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-13.jpg
Add in milk powder, salted egg yolk crumbs, granulated sugar and vanilla one by one, mixing well.
Once well mixed, pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat stirring with a spatula continuously but not vigorously. Scrape the side and bottom of the pan to avoid custard from burning.
Continue to scrape and fold the custard for about 10-15 mins until the custard slides easily from the spatula, then remove from stove.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-19.jpg
Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool about 10 mins then cover bowl with cling wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1hr.
Divide custard into 15 equal portions (about 25g per portion) and roll into balls onto a tray. Cover and chill until ready to assemble.

To Prepare Pastry
Prepare pastry only when both salted egg yolk and custard balls are well chilled/frozen.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together honey, condensed milk and softened butter until well combined.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-22.jpg
With a spatula, fold in cake flour and cornflour until it forms a dough. Using your hands, gather the dough and form a square block.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-25-1.jpg
Divide into 15 equal portions (about 32g per portion). Roll each portion into a ball and place onto a tray, cover with cling wrap until you are ready to assemble. Do not chill.

Assembling Salted Egg Yolk Mooncake
Prepare a 50g mooncake punch mould.
Take one ball of custard and flatten it. Then place a frozen salted egg yolk ball inside and close the edges to seal. Roll into a ball. (Tip: you can freeze for 1hr or overnight as this will help when wrapping with pastry).https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-34.jpg
After the custard and salted egg yolk ball ball has been frozen, place inside a flattened pastry ball and seal well. With both of your palms, roll the pastry and custard ball into a cylinder and slot it into the mooncake punch.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-38.jpg
Arrange completed mooncakes onto a lined tray. Chill for 30 mins.
Preheat oven to 220°C.
For the egg wash, lightly beat 1 whole egg and brush over the top and sides of the mooncake just before baking.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-42-1.jpg
Bake for 3 mins then take out the mooncakes and brush a second coat of egg wash over the top and sides, before sending them back into the oven for another 10 mins.
Serve warm for best results.
Note: Test bake 2 or 3 mooncakes to familiarise the hot spots in your oven to prevent burning the mooncake

Creamy Custard Mochi Mooncakes

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To Prepare Custard Filling
In a small saucepan, add milk and half of the sugar. Heat and stir over medium-low heat and cook until it reaches about 49°C or no more than 65°C. Do not overheat. Leave in saucepan while you complete the next steps.
In a large bowl, mix corn starch, all-purpose flour and the remaining sugar.
Add egg yolks to a separate small bowl, stir to break up the egg yolks, then pour it into the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Next, add warm milk to the egg mixture ¼ cup at a time. Whisk continuously until milk is fully incorporated and the mixture is thin and smooth. Repeat until all the warm milk is mixed.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook under medium heat until the mixture thickens (about 5 mins). Tip: Keep a close eye on the mixture as it will thicken suddenly.
Remove from stove and give it a few stirs. Then add in butter and vanilla extract and mix well.
Strain the custard through a strainer into a dish lined with cling wrap. Press with a spatula to remove any lumps. Cover custard surface with another layer of cling wrap to prevent skin from forming. Chill custard for 1 hr.
After chilled, take custard and scoop about 1 tbsp and roll into a small ball onto a lined tray. Cover and chill or freeze for 30 mins or until it is easy to handle.

To Prepare Mochi Dough
Prepare a large steamer pot with a steaming basket or trivet and turn on stove to begin heating.
In a small bowl, mix milk, oil and vanilla extract together.
In a medium bowl, add glutinous rice flour, rice flour and cornstarch and mix well. Then sift in icing sugar to break up any lumps. Pour in the milk mixture gradually and mix until well combined and a watery batter is formed.
Strain the batter into a large bowl to remove any lumps. Steam the mixture in the prepared steamer (water should be bubbling) for 20 mins. At 15 mins, check to see how the dough is cooking by poking through the middle with a fork. If any dough is uncooked, break through the dough and steam for a further 5 to 8 mins. The dough is ready when it is stiff. Once cooked, remove from steamer and let it cool for about 10 mins.
Once the dough has cooled down, tip it over onto a clean surface (do not oil or flour the surface). Knead the dough for 5 to 8 mins until soft and smooth.
Use a kitchen scale to divide 3 or 4 equal portions. Tint each portion with your chosen food colouring by kneading together. Keep dough wrapped up or covered while you work. Roll each portion into logs and divide the logs into 5 or 6 portions. Roll each of these portions into balls, then cover so they do not dry up.

Assembling the Mochi Mooncakes
Prepare a 50g mooncake punch mould.
Flatten a mochi ball with a rolling pin, pinch the edges to make them thinner. Place a chilled custard ball in the middle and close the outer layer edges until the custard ball is completely concealed. Roll with both palms until you get a round ball.
Dust some corn starch on and insert into mooncake punch and press until compact before releasing.
Serve.

Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bao (Liu Sha Bao)

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To Make Salted Egg Yolk Custard Filling
In a large mixing bowl mix salted duck eggs and sugar and beat with an electric mixer till smooth.
Add in all the other ingredients and beat till everything is well combined.
Refrigerate overnight.
Scoop up about 25-30g onto a cling wrap and shape into a round ball. Keep chilled.

To Make the Dough (Using a Breadmaker)
Add all ingredients except the dry active yeast into the bread machine bowl. Add yeast last.
Set bread machine to dough mode.

To Make the Dough (Without Breadmaker)
Mix all ingredients together to form into a smooth dough about 20 mins. Let it proof for an hour or till it rises double in size.

To Shape the Custard Baos
Once the dough is ready, remove it from the bread bowl and divide the dough into 10 portions. Roll dough into balls and cover with a damp towel as you work.
With a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into 1cm thickness but thinner on the edge before filling with a salted egg yolk custard ball. Holding the dough on your palm, start to pleat the edges of the dough together to seal the salted egg custard ball in.
Place completed bao onto baking paper squares,
Arrange completed bao into a bamboo steamer with adequate space around.
Steam bao on medium heat for 12-15 mins. Do not steam on high heat as it will cause the custard to erupt. Remove from steamer and serve immediately.