To Begin
Cook noodles until al dente according to packaging instructions. Drain and immerse in iced cold water for 1 min until the noodles are cool to touch. Drain and transfer noodles to a bowl. Mix in oil until well combined and cover with cling wrap. Leave to chill in the refrigerator for 1 hr before serving.
Prepare garlic ginger water by mixing garlic, ginger and water in a bowl. Set aside for 1 hr. Discard garlic and ginger before using.
Prepare sauce by mixing all sauce ingredients in a bowl except peppercorn powder. Stir in garlic ginger water and mix until well combined.
Divide cold noodles and carrots into four individual bowls. Pour a quarter of the sauce into each bowl and sprinkle with ¼ tsp of peppercorn powder into each bowl. Add more chilli oil according to preference and garnish with spring onions. Serve immediately.
Noodles
Sichuan Hot and Sour Sweet Potato Noodles (Suan La Fen)
To Cook
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté garlic until fragrant.
Prepare two individual serving bowls with all seasoning ingredients and split the garlic oil between both bowls.
Cook sweet potato noodles according to packaging instructions. Drain and divide the noodles equally between both individual serving bowls. Top with roasted peanuts, spring onions, coriander and pickled vegetables. Serve.
Korean Beef Japchae
To Begin
Add noodles to boiling water and cook for 8 mins. Rinse with cold water and drain. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine marinade ingredients then add beef and mix well. Leave to marinate in the fridge.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan and stir-fry the vegetables with beef, until beef is cooked. Remove from heat, set aside.
Heat another 1 tbsp oil and stir-fry noodles with soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil for 2-3 mins.
Add vegetables and beef. Serve hot.
Homemade Korean Knife Cut Noodles (Kalguksu)
To Make
Place flour, salt, oil and water into a mixing bowl and mix until dough forms. Sprinkle the dough generously with flour and knead the dough until smooth. Add more flour or water when necessary. Cover with cling wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 mins or up to overnight.
Knead the dough for 2 mins before use. Roll out the dough into a thin sheet then fold the dough over several times into layers.
Cut the dough into roughly ½ cm thick. Dust them with more flour and unfold the noodles into separate strands.
Seafood Korean Knife Cut Noodles (Haemul Kalguksu)
To Make
Place water, dried anchovies and kelp in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. At the same time, bring another small pot of water to boil to cook the noodles. Simmer the broth for 15 mins. Boil the noodles until cooked, about 2-3 mins. Drain the noodles and run through with cold water. Set aside.
Discard dried anchovies and kelp from the broth. Season with soy sauce and salt and bring to a boil. Put in shiitake mushrooms, zucchini and carrots and cook for 2 mins. Add pipis and prawns and boil until cooked through, about 1-2 mins.
Add cooked noodles into the broth and gently stir. Boil for 1 min to warm up the noodles.
Transfer noodles to individual bowls and serve with spring onions.
Northern Vietnam Spring Rolls (Nem Ran)
To Prep
Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and mix until the sugar has dissolved.
Set it aside for serving later.
To Cook
Combine the minced pork and shrimp in a mixing bowl.
Season with salt, pepper and sugar before adding the shallots and garlic.
Next, add the shredded vegetables, mushrooms, and glass noodles and mix well.
Mix in the egg white and let the spring roll filling sit for 10 mins.
Soften the rice paper wrapper with a damp cloth. Then, scoop a spoonful of the filling on one edge of the rice paper wrapper.
Roll up the wrapper like you would roll a burrito but with the ends of the wrapper tucked in.
Heat up some oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the spring rolls until they are golden brown.
Remove the excess oil from the cooked spring rolls using a paper towel.
Serve the spring tolls hot with the dipping sauce.
Mung Bean Vermicelli Salad with Chicken (Yum Woon Sen)
To Prep
For the dressing, create a paste in a mortar and pestle by pounding the garlic, chillies and coriander root.
Add the palm sugar and lightly grind until dissolved.
Add the fish sauce and lime juice and pound until well combined.
Set aside.
To Cook
Cook the minced chicken in a small saucepan of boiling water for 3 mins or until cooked through. Drain and set aside.
Place the vermicelli in a heatproof bowl, then cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 2 mins. Drain well and place in a mixing bowl.
Add the dressing, chicken and dried shrimp and mix well, then add the spring onion, coriander, shallot and peanuts and combine.
Use the chilli and extra coriander as garnish on top and serve.
Bak Chor Mee Soup
To Prep
Mix minced pork with marinade ingredients and marinade for at least 15 mins.
To Cook
Add the stock ingredients into the stock pot and simmer for 1 hr.
Add pork balls and simmer for a further 5 mins then discard the soup pouch.
Scoop 1 ladle of hot stock over the marinated pork to cook it briefly, then place them into the stock pot to cook until done.
To Serve
Place noodles into a serving bowl and ladle in some hot soup, including pork balls and minced pork. Garnish with chilli slices, spring onions, fried shallots, lard croutons and shallot oil.
Pan-fried Beef Steak with Thai-style Noodles
To Cook
Mix the beef steaks in 2 tbsp of the oil, sliced garlic, chilli and lemongrass and marinate for 15 mins.
Place 1 tbsp of the oil in to a pan and cook the steak to the desired level of doneness. Remove from the pan and let it rest while making the sauce.
Add the last of the oil in to the pan and fry the onions till they start to brown. Add the coconut milk to the pan and let the sauce reach a simmer.
When the sauce has reached a simmer, add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, tamarind and palm sugar. Stir and continue to simmer until the palm sugar has dissolved fully.
In a separate bowl, blanch the vermicelli noodles.
When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and add the Thai basil leaves and mix.
To serve, spoon the sauce mixture on to a plate, place the vermicelli noodles on top of the sauce, and finish with slices of the steak. Garnish with more basil and chillies.
Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Beef (Pho Xao Bo)
To Prep
Mix the beef together with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sesame oil in a mixing bowl.
Heat up some vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add the minced garlic and onions and stir fry until fragrant.
Add the beef and chopped spring onions to the wok and cook until the beef is no longer pink in color.
Add the oyster sauce and mix well. Set aside when the beef is done.
To Cook
Heat up some vegetable oil in the wok and add the rice noodles.
Add the dark soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce and mix well, making sure all the noodles are coated with sauces.
Next, add the spring onions and bean sprouts and continue to stir fry until the noodles are done.
Mix in the cooked beef and turned off the heat.
Plate the noodles and serve.
Katong Laksa
To Prep
With a blender, blend all spice paste ingredients, except the dried shrimps and oil, set aside.
Blend the dried shrimps and set aside.
To Cook
Heat oil in a wok, add the blended spice paste and fry for 45 mins. Remove and set aside.
In the same wok, fry the blended dried shrimps until fragrant, add the spice paste back in.
Add ½ of the coconut milk, 1 tbsp at a time, then add laksa leaves.
Add the water along with the reserved dried shrimps water, and the remaining coconut milk. Stirring, boil for 30 mins.
Add puffed tofu and cook for another 10 mins.
To Serve
Place the rice noodles and bean shoots in a serving bowl. Pour in the laksa soup and top with prawns and fish cakes. Serve hot.
Stir Fried Shredded Pork with Egg Noodles
To Cook
Mix pork with marinade.
Cook egg noodles in boiling water until tender. Drain.
Heat some oil in a pan and sauté ginger and bean sprouts for 1 min. Set aside.
Add a little oil and sauté red chillies, spring onions and pork until cooked through.
Stir in egg noodles, ginger and bean sprouts. Add soy sauce, stir well until heated through. Serve.