To Cook
Toss prawns in corn flour with a pinch of salt.
Cook the rice cake in hot water until soft. Rinse in cold water.
Heat wok with 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Stir-fry the rice cake for 2-3 mins. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok and stir-fry the onion, scallops, prawn, mushroom, red capsicum and spring onion with seasoning mix.
Add in rice cake and stir well to serve.
Stir-Fry
Stir-Fried Pork with Soba Noodles
To Cook
Cook noodles in boiling water until just tender. Drain, then refresh under cold running water. Drain well, set aside.
Heat sesame oil and half the oil in a wok over medium heat, add the pork and stir-fry until lightly browned. Place pork in a bowl, cover to keep warm.
In a small saucepan, place the mirin, soy sauce, sugar and cooking sake. Heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the onion, garlic and fresh ginger. Cook and stir until onion soft. Add shiitake mushroom, cabbage and carrot, cook until tender. Add pickled ginger, pork, soba noodles and sweet soy sauce (gently toss to combine). Cook until heated through.
Divide stir-fry between 4 deep serving bowls. Garnish with a sprinkling of finely shredded nori and serve immediately.
Korean Stir-Fried Potato Noodle (Japchae)
To Prep
Marinate meat in bulgogi marinade in a bowl for at least 30 mins.
To Cook
Saute onions in a heated pan with 1 tbsp oil for about 1 min, do not caramelize onions, keep white colour. Set aside.
Saute carrots in a heated pan with 1 tbsp oil for about 1 min. Carrots shouldn’t be too soft. Set aside.
Stir fry meat in a heated pan until meat is cooked, about 2-3 mins. Set aside.
Saute mushrooms in a heated pan with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1½ tbsp soy sauce and a sprinkling of ground pepper for about 1 min. Set aside.
Mix spinach with 1 tbsp sesame oil, ¼ tsp minced garlic and season with salt. Set aside.
In a heated pan, add 1 tbsp oil and make a thin egg white omelette. Set aside. Repeat with egg yolk. Cut omelettes into thin strips.
Bring a big pot of water to a rapid boil. Add 2 tsp salt. Add the dried noodles and cook for about 5 mins or until al dente. Drain and do not wash noodles with water.
Add 1-2 tbsp oil to a heated pan and add cooked noodles. Stir quickly and then add 3-4 tbsp soy sauce and 2½ -3 tbsp sugar. Mix to combine. Take noodles off the heat. Put noodles in a large bowl.
Add 2-3 tbsp of sesame oil to noodles and season with salt and ¼ tsp ground pepper. Add extra soy sauce and sugar if needed. When the noodles have cooled down, add the rest of the ingredients that have been set aside and mix well. Put japchae on a serving plate or bowl and top with thin slices of egg omelette.
Note: Once the sweet potato noodles are cooked and drained, it should be stir fried in oil, soy and sugar mixture quickly. However, once this is done, the rest of the ingredients can be added and mixed closer to serving.
Korean Pan Fried Dumplings (Mandu)
To Prep
Combine all the ingredients except wrappers and water. Season with salt if needed.
Place 1½ tsp of filling in the middle of each wrapper. Lightly wet the edges of wrappers with water and wrap the mandu into half circles, crimping the edges.
To Cook
Heat frying pan with oil on medium heat and add the mandus. Cook for about 1-2 mins or until the bottom is golden brown. Turn mandu over. Add water and instantly put a lid over the frying pan and let the mandu steam for few minutes or until the oil ceases to splatter. Make sure the mandu doesn’t burn, lower the temperature of frying pan.
Take the lid off and turn the mandu over again and gently cook for another minute or two or until the mandu is golden brown on the bottom and the filling is cooked.
Take mandu out and drain on paper towel. Serve with dipping sauce.
You can add chopped chives, cooked glass/vermicelli noodles and finely chopped carrots to the mandu mix.
Bibimbap
To Cook
Set aside different vegetables separately after cooking.
Heat pan and ½ tbsp oil. Add carrot and cook briefly, about 20 secs and season lightly with salt.
Repeat sauté process as above with zucchini but add ⅛ tbsp garlic and ½ tbsp green onions.
Repeat again with shitake but season lightly with soy sauce.
Mix spinach with ⅛ tbsp garlic, ½ tbsp green onions and 1½ tbsp of sesame oil.
In a saucepan place soybean sprouts with ⅛ tbsp garlic, 1 tbsp sesame oil and 2 tbsp water. Cook for about 5 mins until sprouts are cooked. Drain and add ½ tbsp green onions and ¼ tsp kochugaru (Korean chilli powder). Season with salt.
Mix radish with ⅛ tbsp garlic, ½ tbsp green onions, vinegar, sugar, and ¼ tsp kochugaru (Korean chilli powder).
Ladle 1 cup of cooked rice in each bowl. Arrange vegetables, meat and then an egg on top. Drizzle some sesame oil and serve with gochujang for individual taste. Repeat with other 3 bowls. Mix well before eating.
The colourful and vibrant Bibimbap is ready.
Eye FIllet Steak with Ramen Noodles
To Cook
Cook noodles according to packet instructions. Drain, then refresh under cold running water. Drain well, set aside.
Heat half the olive oil in a wok. Add the eye fillet (in small batches) and stir-fry until browned. Remove from wok and set aside.
Heat the remaining olive oil in the wok. Add the onion, garlic and capsicum and stir-fry until tender. Return the eye fillet to the wok along with the rest of the vegetables, sauces and beef stock. Stir-fry until vegetables are tender and eye fillet is cooked to your liking. Add ramen noodles, gently tossing to combine (about 1 min). Remove from heat.
Divide stir-fry between 4 deep serving bowls. Garnish with a sprinkling of spring onion. Serve hot.
Sweet and Sour Beef
To Prep
Combine beef with oyster sauce, corn flour and 1 tsp of oil in a bowl.
To Cook
Heat a fry pan or wok over high heat. Add remaining 3 tsp oil and stir-fry onion for 1-2 mins. Add beef and stir-fry for 2-3 mins. Add capsicum and continue stir-frying for 3 mins.
Stir in pineapple and sweet & sour sauce and cook until heated through, for 2-3 mins.
Stir-fried Squid, Snow Peas and Chinese Celery
To Prep
Clean and cut open the squid, and score the inside in a criss-cross pattern (this prevents it from becoming tough during cooking). Cut into 5cm pieces; marinate with salt, sugar and corn flour.
To Cook
Stir-fry the squid pieces in the wok until the sides curl up (for approximately 4 mins). Set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the wok and fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the celery and snow peas and stir-fry for 5 mins. Return the squid to the wok, add salt to taste. Add the spring onions; stir-fry for a further 2 mins and serve.
Glass Noodle Salad
For Seasoning Sauce
Combine coriander root, garlic and chilli finely pound. Transfer to small saucepan, adding vinegar and sugar, mix well before placing over low heat, keep boiling and slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and add lime juice, mix well.
To Cook
Combine pork fillet, prawns and onion in a mixing bowl, adding 2 tbsp seasoning sauce, gently mix through.
Add glass noodle and 4 tbsp seasoning sauce, mix well. Combine tomatoes, celery leaves and the remaining seasoning sauce, gently mix well.
Serve in a serving plate, top with dried prawns.
Hint : To prepare glass noodle, just rinse with water and drain, before boiling over high heat for 3 mins and remove, drained and soak immediately in very cold water, until completely cool down, and drain.
Red Curry with Prawns and Pineapple
To Cook
Stir-fry curry paste in heated oil over low heat until fragrant. Slowly pour coconut milk and stir fry until oil appears
Transfer the curry mixture to a saucepan and place over medium heat, adding light coconut milk until boiling. Combine pineapple, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind puree, stir well. Bring to the boil
Add kaffir lime and prawns gently stir through, return to the boil. Remove from heat when the prawns are cooked.
Thai Spicy Stir-fry Chicken with Beans (Gai Pad Prik Khing)
To Cook
Poach the chicken fillets for about 2 mins. Remove from heat and leave to cool before slicing into ½cm thick. Set Aside.
Put the beans into boiling water for 2 mins and dunk them into cold water until they’re cold to touch. Drain and set aside.
Stir-fry red curry paste in heated oil over low heat for 2 mins or until fragrant.
Add the chicken and stir through over high heat. Add water, fish sauce and sugar. Mix well and stir fry for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked.
Add the beans and cook for 1 min. Add kaffir lime leaves just before removing from heat. Serve with Jasmine rice.
Pad Thai with Prawns
To Cook
Blanch prawns in boiling water for 1 min. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan, add chopped onions and stir-fry on low heat until fragrant. Add Pad Thai noodles and stir-fry until softened, some water can be added.
Add Pad Thai Paste and stir to mix. Push the mixture to one side of the pan. Add 1 tbsp of oil, bring to medium heat and add the eggs.
Wait for 1 min for the eggs to set, then add the prawns; stir-fry until everything is well mixed in the pan.
Add beansprouts and Chinese leek and stir through before removing from heat. Garnish with ground roasted peanut before serving.