Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Chicken

Thai Pandan Wrapped Chicken (Gai Hor Bai Toey)

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To Prep
Mix all Marinade ingredients in a bowl. Then add chicken and mix to coat evenly. Leave to marinate for at least 15 mins.

To Wrap the Chicken
Start folding with the non-shiny side up. Fold one end of the leaf back to form a small cone cup,
Using a chopstick, put about 1-2 pcs of chicken into the cone cup,
Bring the longer part of the leaf down to the front and back so that it wraps the chicken securely in the cone cup,
Take the same part of the leaf and slowly insert into the wrap from the bottom and out through the top,
Gently pull the leaf through and cut the excess part, leaving about 2 inches length. To make it more secure, insert the skewer through the centre. Repeat the process until all the chicken has been used.
In a wok, heat oil and deep-fry chicken until thoroughly cooked.
In a small pot, mix all ingredients and bring to boil. Continue cooking until sauce is reduced to a thick gravy.
Serve pandan wrapped chicken with the gravy on the side.

Fried Chicken with Lemongrass (Gai Tod Takrai)

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To Cook
Bring a pot of water to boil and in the chicken pieces to cook for about 15-20 mins. Drain and set aside to cool.
Using a stone mortar and pestle, pound the lemongrass pieces until stringy.
In a wok or pan, add oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add in lemongrass to fry until crispy, strain and set aside.
Next, turn up the heat and carefully add chicken to the wok. Continue frying until chicken turns golden brown. Remove fried chicken from wok and drain excess oil on paper towel.
Place fried chicken and lemongrass into a clean pot. Cover with the pot lid and shake hard to mix well. Transfer gai tod takrai into a serving plate and serve as a snack with an ice cold beer!

Singapore Chicken Briyani

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To Cook the Rice
Heat ghee or oil in a rice cooker or a pot. When the oil is hot, add in the onions and saute until they have turned golden in colour.
Add in the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and continue to saute until they have become fragrant.
When the aromatics have become fragrant, add in the tomato puree and stir well before adding in the carrots. Continue to fry for another minute befoe adding in the pandan leaf and cooking it for about another minute.
Add the rice, and mix it around so that all of the other ingredients become mixed evenly within it. Add in the water and bring to boil before adding in the salt.
Next, add the evaporated milk. Once it reaches a boil, cover the pot and immediately lower the heat to cook for another 10 mins.
Check if the rice has softened and the liquid has been fully absorbed by the rice. Fluff up the rice and then place the lid back on and remove from heat. Set aside until ready to serve.

For the chicken
Rinse the chicken well and drain. Add the ingredients for marinade and rub well into the chicken. Let the chicken marinade for at least 30 mins.
In a non-stick pan over a medium heat, add in the oil when it has heated up add in the pieces of chicken.
Fry on both sides but not through as we want to cook the outer flesh until it is slightly golden.
Set aside the meat and strain the oil from the pan except for about a tablespoon. Heat up the remaining oil and then add the onions, garlic and saute till softened.
Add in the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper powder, turmeric powder and pandan leaves and saute until aromatic.
Return the meat back in to the pan and stir-fry for 5 more mins before adding in the 1 – 1/2 cups water and cook covered for another 10-15 mins on low heat.

To Serve
In a large bowl, add the rice and the cooked chicken and mix well. Transfer the mixed rice on to a plate and top with more chicken if desired. Garnish with fried golden raisins, cashews and freshly chopped coriander.

Singapore Fried Noodles

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To Prep
Prepare rice vermicelli according to instructions on package, then strain in a colander.
Coat chicken with corn starch and set aside. Combine all of the sauce ingredients together and stir until they are well mixed.

To Cook
In a wok, heat oil over high heat. Add garlic, onion, and stir fry until aromatic. Then add chicken and prawns, stir-fry until they change colour. Add the rice sticks and sauce mixture, stir to combine well with all the ingredients and cook for 5 mins until noodles soften.
Move the noodles to one side of the wok using the spatula and pour in the beaten eggs onto the now empty side of the wok
Let it cook for about 1 min or until the bottom sets. Add a dash of pepper and begin to fold the noodles over the eggs.
Continue to fold the noodles until all of the ingredients are evenly spread with in it.
Turn off the heat and serve the noodles immediately with a wedge of lime on the side.

Sichuan Chongqing Chicken (Sichuan Chongqing La Zi Ji)

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To Prep
Clean chicken thoroughly and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add all marinade ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Toss chicken pieces in the marinade to coat well, and set aside for 30 mins.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients.

To Cook
In a wok, heat about 3 tbsp oil over high heat. Add the chicken into the wok and let it sear until it’s browned and crisp on all sides. Turn off the heat, dish out the chicken and set it aside.
Add 2-3 tbsp oil to the leftover oil in the wok. Heat the wok over medium low heat, and add the Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add ginger and garlic, and cook for 1 min. Then add whole dried chilies, and stir-fry for another minute. Monitor the heat levels to avoid burning.
Turn up the heat to high, and add the chicken, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and scallion. Continue to stir-fry, until any liquid in the wok has evaporated. Dish out and serve with steamed rice.

Note: Reduce the amount of dried red chillies to adjust the level of spiciness. The dish will not be that spicy if you do not break open the Sichuan peppercorns.

Sichuan Mouthwatering Chicken in Chilli Oil (Kou Shui Ji)

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To Prepare the Sichuan Combined Oil
Mix chilli powder, 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder, Chinese five spice powder and sesame seeds in a small bowl.
In a pan, add ginger slices, star anise, cumin, bay leaves, 4-5 grains of Sichuan peppercorn, dry chillies, and around 1 cup of oil. Heat ingredients over low heat. After a couple minutes, remove the oil from the heat and discard all the spices from the oil.
Pour the hot oil directly into the spice mixture in the first step. Set the Sichuan Combined Oil aside.

To Prepare the Chicken
In a large pot, add chicken, spring onions, ginger slices and cooking wine. Then add enough water to immerse the chicken and bring contents to boil over medium fire and continue cooking for about 10 mins. Turn off the heat, cover the pot’s lid and set chicken aside for another 20 mins.
Prepare ice water in a large bowl. Transfer the chicken out and immerse in ice water. Turn the chicken over several times until it is completely cooled down. Cut chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a plate. Note: Immersing the cooked chicken into ice water will improve its texture.
Combine all Sauce ingredients and mix well.
Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with toasted peanuts and white sesame seeds. Serve with steamed white rice.

Japanese Chicken Meatballs (Tsukune)

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To Make the Sauce
In a pot, combine soy sauce, mirin and sugar and bring to boil. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer for about 4-5 mins or until the quantity is reduced by about ⅓.

To Make Meatballs
In a bowl, combine chicken mince, chicken fat and salt and mix well until the mince turns sticky.
Keeping 1 tbsp of sake and oil aside, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
While mixing, gradually add the remaining sake to the mince. Stop adding the sake before the mince becomes too soft to form a ball.
In a pot, bring water to boil. Coat a spoon with oil.
With you left hand, take some mince and squeeze them out through the thumb and the index finger. The chicken mince will form into a ball.
Put the mince on the spoon and place it into the pot. Repeat this process for the remaining mince.
Boil the meatballs for 5-7 mins or until cooked through. Remove the meatballs and set aside. You may do this in batches.

To Grill Meatballs
Heat griller in high heat. Oil the rack/grill where you place the meatballs.
With each flat skewer, put through 3 meatballs.
Brush some sauce on the meatballs and cook for 1-2 mins or until slightly charred.
Turn over and cook for another 1-2 mins. Brush some sauce again, cook 5-10 secs on both sides. Serve immediately.

Sweet and Crispy Korean Fried Chicken (Dakgangjeong)

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To Prep Sauce
Heat a large non-stick wok with cooking oil over medium high heat. Add minced garlic for about 30 secs.
Add soy sauce, rice syrup, vinegar, and mustard sauce (optional). Stir with a wooden spoon and let it bubble for a few minutes.
Add the brown sugar and continue stirring. Remove from the heat. Set aside.

To Prep Chicken
Cut off the tip of each wing and chop the wing in half.
Mix salt, ginger and ground black pepper in a big bowl and put the chicken in and mix equally by hand.
Put corn starch in another bowl and dip each wing to coat it, one by one. Squeeze each wing to press the coating to it tightly.
Put 5 cups of cooking oil in a frying pan or pot and heat it up for 7-8 mins over high heat.

To Cook
Check the oil by dipping the tip of the wing in the oil, if the oil bubbles, can start frying. Slide the wings in the hot oil one by one and fry for about 13 mins, turn the wings over a few times with a long tong.
Depends on your size of pan or pot, may need to do it in a few batches. You will need more cooking oil if you use a large pot.
Remove wings from the oil and let them sit on a strainer. Turn off the heat; let the wings sit for a few minutes.
Reheat the oil and fry the wings again for another 15 mins until they turned golden brown. Remove them from oil and place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

To Serve
Once the chicken is done, reheat the coating sauce until it bubbles.
Add the chicken one by one and coat the chicken with a thong.
Remove from the heat and transfer the coated chicken to a plate. Garnish with some sesame seeds and chopped spring onions, and serve immediately.

Korean Fried Chicken Wings

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To Prep
Cut off the tip of each wing and chop the wing in half.
Mix salt, ginger and ground black pepper in a big bowl and put the chicken in and mix equally by hand.
Put potato starch in another bowl and dip each wing to coat it, one by one. Squeeze each wing to press the coating to it tightly.
Put 5 cups of cooking oil in a frying pan or pot and heat it up for 7-8 mins over high heat.

To Cook
Check the oil by dipping the tip of the wing in the oil, if the oil bubbles, can start frying. Slide the wings in the hot oil one by one and fry for about 13 mins, turn the wings over a few times with a long tong.
Depends on your size of pan or pot, may need to do it in a few batches. You will need more cooking oil if you use a large pot.
Remove wings from the oil and let them sit on a strainer. Turn off the heat; let the wings sit for a few minutes.
Reheat the oil and fry the wings again for another 15 mins until they turned golden brown. Remove them from oil and place them on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Ayam Semor with Sambal Goreng Buncis Udang Petai

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Sambal Terasi
Pour oil into a frypan and stir in the chillies, garlic, shallots and belacan. Continue stirring until soft.
Transfer into a food processor or mortar & pestle together with the sugar, salt and chicken stock powder. Blend until smooth.
When cool transfer to a jar with a airtight lid, store in refrigerator.
WARNING:- Best to cook this outside as the fumes from the chilli while cooking can be very overpowering, making it hard to breathe.

Ayam Semor
Place the chicken pieces into a large bowl. Rub the salt & white pepper together with 1 tbsp of the ABC Kecap Manis, cover and let stand for ½ hour.
While the chicken is marinating, cut the eggplant into 1cm thick slices, spray with cooking spray and bake under a grill until golden brown on both sides. Set aside.
In a jug make up the chicken stock powder with the cup of boiling water, stir to dissolve.
In a deep pan heat the remaing oil and brown the chicken pieces. Set aside.
Without adding extra oil fry the onions, garlic and ginger until soft.
Add the cloves, nutmeg and return the chicken pieces together with any resting juices to the pan. Pour over 3 tbsp of ABC Kecap Manis and the stock liquid. Stir to make sure each piece of chicken has been costed with the sauce. Salt & pepper to taste.
Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat and simmer for 25 mins. Remove the chicken from the sauce and arrange the eggplant in a single layer on the base of the pan. Return the chicken back on top. Cover and simmer for a further 5 mins.

Sambal Goreng Buncis Udang Petai
Top and tail the beans and slice on the diagonal.
In a saucepan pour in the oil and fry the onion and garlic on a medium to low heat until the onions have softened.
Toss in the fresh beans and continuously stir for 5 mins.
Add the sambal terasi, tamarind paste, shaved palm sugar and the petai beans.
Pour in the TCC Premium Coconut Milk, salt & pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat and cook until the beans are just tender.
Add the prawns in a layer on top (do not stir through). Cover and cook until they have just turned a lovely pinky orange. This step will not take long, so do not leave the kitchen, as you do not want to overcook them. Remove from heat and stir through.
Serve both dished with fluffy white Jasmine rice.

Honey Sesame Chicken

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To Prep
Whisk all the “Frying Batter” ingredients together until smooth and set aside.
Thoroughly coat chicken cubes in frying batter and set aside.
Mix all the ingredients of the “Honey Sesame Sauce” together and set aside.

To Cook
Heat up a sauté pan and add about 5cm of oil on medium to high heat.
When the oil is fully heated, gently drop in the battered chicken cubes, one by one, making sure it is spread out to prevent sticking together. Continue to fry until the colour changes to golden brown. Dish out and drain on paper towels.
Transfer 2 tbsp of the frying oil in a wok or skillet, stir-fry the garlic until aromatic. Add in the Honey Sesame Sauce, and bring to a light simmer or until the sauce thickens.
Add chicken to sauce and stir-fry to combine both. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on chicken, dish out and serve immediately with steamed white rice, or Chinese fried rice.

Miso Ramen

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To Make Dashi
Wipe konbu with a damp cloth. Cut konbu into strips. Add to the water, and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add 1 cup of cold water to stop boiling.
Add the bonito flakes. Return to the boil, simmer on low heat for around 10 min. Strain through a fine sieve, and return to the stove.

To Cook
Take about half a cup of your hot dashi, and combine with miso in a small bowl, until smooth and runny. Add this to the remaining dashi, stirring until combined. Keep hot. Add soy sauce to taste, if desired.
Prepare Hakubaku Ramen noodles as per the packet instructions.
Arrange servings of Hakubaku Ramen noodles, chicken slices, egg, carrot, cucumber, bok choy, shallots and chilli in two bowls. Pour half the hot dashi miso into each bowl. Make sure dashi is hot so that it will blanch the bok choy.