Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Chicken

Murtabak

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Preparing the Roti
Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and ¼ cup of ghee in a mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer (with paddle attachment) set on low, mix the ingredients until you get a clumpy mixture.
Add the egg, milk and water. Continue mixing with the paddle attachment until a smooth elastic dough is formed.
Knead until the dough is soft, and portion into 16 equal balls. Slather each portion with a teaspoon of ghee. Cover lightly and allow to rest at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
You could leave the dough to rest overnight in the fridge, but make sure to warm it up to room temperature before working on it again.

Preparing the Stuffing
Boil the potatoes until cooked, the mash with a potato masher. Set aside.
Remove the husk, and soak the dried tamarind in ½ cup of water until soft. Then mash it in the soaking water. Strain through a sieve and reserve the water. In a wok, heat some oil and fry the onions, garlic and ginger until golden.
Next, mix the curry powder, garam masala with some water and add to the wok.
Fry the ingredients until the oil splits and add in the tamarind water.
Add the minced meat and mashed potatoes.
Fry until the stuffing is dry and season with salt to taste.

Making the Murtabak
Now, you’ll need to flatten out the dough. Coat your hands liberally with ghee, and prepare your working area by coating with some ghee.
On your work surface, flatten a ball of dough with the ball of your palm. You want a flat, round piece of dough about 0.5cm thick.
Then you will need to stretch out the dough. Slowly pull outwards to thin the dough, before pressing the dough back onto the work surface. Repeat until the dough is paper thin.
You want the dough to be paper thin, almost see-through. This will take a bit to master, and the dough can stretch out quite big – up to 60cm in diameter.
Mix in the eggs with the meat stuffing.
Put a portion of the minced meat into the center of the roti and roughly flatten with a spoon.
Fold the edges of the roti over the stuffing, to get a square shaped murtabak.
Pan-fry until the surface of the murtabak turns golden brown, and flip onto the other side to brown. Serve hot.

Chinese Honey Soy Chicken Wings

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To Cook
Heat oil in a fry pan on medium heat and pan fry winglets for 3-4 mins, or until browned.
Add seasoning ingredients and stir well.
Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for about 20 mins or until tender.
Stir every few mins so that the winglets have a balanced colour, and to avoid the honey from being burnt.
Serve warm with steamed rice.

Malaysian Mango Chicken

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To Cook
Cut chicken fillets into strips. then combine with chicken marinade ingredients in a bowl to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients and mix well. Sugar and sauce ingredients may be adjusted to your liking. Set aside.
In a wok, heat up 2 tbsp of oil and sauté the sliced onions, red and green capsicum until fragrant. Dish up and set aside.
In the same wok, heat up remaining 2 tbsp of oil. Add in marinated chicken pieces and mango slices. Stir fry for approximately 2 mins. Place lid over wok and allow to simmer on medium heat for another 2 mins, or until the mango strips are soft, and juices are drawn out from the mangoes.
Remove the lid and add in the sauce mixture. Stir and allow it to boil before returning the lid to cover the wok. Turn the heat down slightly and let it simmer until the chicken pieces are thoroughly cooked.
Remove lid and add in the sautéed onions and capsicums. Stir well. Salt and sugar may be added to taste.

Chinese Steamed Glutinous Rice with Chicken (Lo Mai Kai)

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To Prep
In two separate bowls, soak dried shiitake mushrooms and glutinous rice for a minimum of 5 hrs. Keep the water used to soak the dried shiitake mushrooms. Slice rehydrated mushrooms into half.
In a bowl, combine chicken and rehydrated mushrooms with marinade. Add 10 tbsp of leftover mushroom water. Set aside.

To Cook
Using a wok or large pan, heat up oil and sauté shallots and garlic over medium heat until aromatic. Put in glutinous rice and remaining seasoning ingredients and fry, stirring constantly to combine all the ingredients well.
Dish out glutinous rice mixture to a large plate. Drizzle over about 6 tbsp mushroom water. Place in a steamer and steam for 45 mins.
Once the glutinous rice is almost done, heat up some oil in the wok or pan and stir fry the marinated chicken and mushrooms. Add in Chinese sausages and sauté for 1 min. Thicken the sauce with corn flour slurry if necessary.
Using rice bowls or small soup bowls, place pieces of chicken, mushrooms and Chinese sausages into each bowl and spoon in some gravy. Fill up each bowl with glutinous rice. Cover the bowls with aluminium foil and place them back into the steamer. Steam for another 30 mins. Remove and serve hot.

Vegemite Chicken Wings

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To Prep
In a large bowl, combine chicken wings with marinade ingredients. Mix well and leave to marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hr.

To Cook
Heat up oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or wok. Coat chicken wings once through the marinade again and deep fry the wings until golden brown. Remove and drain off excess oil on paper towels.
In a clean pan or wok, heat up 1 tbsp oil and add in all the sauce ingredients. Stir constantly over medium heat until the sauce bubbles and thickens. The process may take about 5-8 mins. Toss in the fried chicken wings and mix thoroughly until the wings are well coated with sauce. Dish out and garnish with white sesame seeds if desired. Serve with steamed rice or eat them on its own!

Vegemite Chicken

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To Prep
In a large bowl, combine chicken with marinade ingredients. Mix well and leave to marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hr.

To Cook
Heat up oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or wok. Coat chicken once through the marinade again and deep fry until golden brown. Remove and drain off excess oil on paper towels.
In a clean pan or wok, heat up oil and add in all the sauce ingredients. Stir constantly over medium heat until the sauce bubbles and thickens. The process may take about 5-8 mins. Toss in the fried chicken pieces and mix thoroughly until they are well coated with sauce. Dish out and garnish with white sesame seeds if desired. Serve with steamed rice.

Thai Red Curry Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang Ka Ti Kab Jeaw Makham)

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To Cook
Combine coconut milk, red curry paste, sugar and fish sauce in a large ceramic bowl. Add chicken breast, turning to coat each side and leave to marinate for 1 hour.
Heat a barbecue hotplate or chargrill pan on medium-high heat. Grill chicken breast for 3-4 mins each side or until cooked.
Slice chicken breast and place on a serving plate lined with salad leaves.
To make dipping sauce, mix all ingredients until sugar dissolves. Serve sauce on the side.

Indonesian Roast Chicken

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To Cook
Butterfly or halve the chicken and make a cut in the thickest part of each leg and breast.
Mix all marinade ingredients together. Pour over chicken and marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or better overnight.
Remove chicken from the fridge and let it sit in room temperature for 30-45 mins before roasting.
Pre-heat oven to 190°C and roast for 40 mins, basting occasionally.
Rest chicken for 10 mins before serving on a banana leaf with steamed rice, lime wedges, salad and sambal. Drizzle ABC Sweet Soy Sauce on the chicken before eating.

Rice with Silky Savoury Gravy (Mui Fan)

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To Prep
Marinade chicken pieces with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil and pepper for 15 mins. Season prawns with salt, Shaoxing wine and pepper.

To Cook
In a large pot, heat up oil over medium high heat. Stir fry ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add in chicken pieces and stir fry until cooked. Then, add in sliced carrots, baby corns, mustard green stems and shitake mushrooms. Mix in Shaoxing wine and continue stir frying until slightly softened, about 1-2 mins.
Pour in gravy ingredients and stir well. Bring to boil.
Add in fish cakes and prawns, stirring until prawns start to turn pink. Add in sliced squid. Pour in corn flour slurry and continue to stir until gravy thickens. Season with salt or pepper if needed.
Shred apart enoki mushrooms into the pot and stir until softened. Add mustard green leaves and give a quick stir. Then, turn off the heat and slowly stir in beaten eggs.
Serve over steamed rice.

Stir Fried Chicken with Sweet Bean Sauce

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To Prep
Marinate chicken with seasonings for 20 mins.

To Cook
In a skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and stir fry chicken until just cooked. Set aside.
Add a little more oil in the skillet and saute onions and garlic until softened and aromatic. Add in capsicum and stir fry for 2 mins. Add salt to taste.
Throw in the cooked chicken. Mix in ketchup, sweet bean sauce and water and continue cooking for another 1-2 mins until sauce thickens. Add in roasted cashew nuts and give a quick stir.
Dish out and serve with steamed rice.

Shortcut Kung Pao Chicken

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To Cook
Coat chicken with corn starch
Heat up some oil in a wok and stir fry garlic until aromatic
Stir in chicken fillet until fragrant.
Stir in sauce packet for kung pao chicken.
Add in peanuts, capsicum and dried chillies and stir well.
Turn off heat and add in spring onions.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

Salted Egg Yolk Chicken

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To Prep
Marinate chicken with salt, pepper and rice wine for 1 hr.
Add the beaten egg to the chicken thighs and mix well.
Coat chicken in potato starch, shake off excess and transfer onto a dry plate.

To Cook
Deep fry the chicken till golden brown and crispy.
Transfer onto paper towel to remove excess oil.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a separate pan and melt butter until foamy.
Add curry leaves and fry till fragrant and crisp.
Add garlic, ginger, chillies and mix well.
Add salted egg yolks and cook till the mixture becomes bubbly.
Return the fried chicken to the pan and toss until evenly coated with sauce.