Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Noodles

Cold Soba Noodle (Zaru Soba)

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For Dashi Stock
Combine all ingredients in a pot and leave for overnight in the fridge to slowly extract the flavours of the ingredients. When ready to use, remove the mushrooms and kombu seaweed.

For Soba Sauce (Mentsuyu)
Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat to boiling point. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge.

To Cook
Boil 4-5L of water in a large deep pot. Cook the soba noodles by following the instructions on the packet or until it becomes the desired texture. Al dente is said to be the best texture for soba noodles.
Once the soba noodles are cooked, drain and cool in ice water.
Drain noodles and serve with cold soba sauce (mentsuyu). To enjoy, add the desired amount of garnish in the soba sauce. Pick up a mouthful of noodles with chopsticks and dip halfway in the sauce before slurping it down. Soba noodles are best consumed within 5 mins after cooled for the best texture and flavour.

Pork Bone Style Ramen (Tonkotsu Fu Ramen)

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To Make Soup
Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 15-20 mins.

To Serve
Cook noodles by following the instructions on the package. Drain and place in bowl.
Heat the soup in a pot to boiling temperature, ladle over the noodles.
Top with pork slices, bamboo pickles, egg, wood ear mushrooms and garnish with spring onion and red pickled ginger.

Japanese Cold Ramen (Hiyashi Chuka)

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To Make Sauce
Combine Sauce ingredients, except sesame oil, in a pot and bring to boil. Take off heat and cool in fridge.
Add crushed white sesame seeds and sesame oil in the cooled sauce to finish it off. Leave aside.

To Make Hiyashi Chuka
Cook noodles by following the instructions on the package. Cool in ice water then drain and leave aside.
In a bowl, place desired amount of noodles in the centre, followed by desired amount of salad. Then pour sauce over the top to serve.

“Swimming Rama” Thai Peanut Sauce with Spinach & Pork (Pra Ram Rong Song)

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To Prep
Marinate pork tenderloin with sugar and salt.
Cut water spinach in bite size and separate the leaves and the stems.
Cook rice vermicelli / rice following the package instructions.

To Cook Sauce
Bring coconut cream to boil.
Add curry paste then mix well.
Wait till it boils again, add all remaining ingredients (save a bit of sesame seed and peanuts for garnish).
Bring to boil again then set aside. During the time, get ready for a pot of boiling water for blanching.

To Serve
Cook rice vermicelli first to avoid getting colour from vegetable. Blanch the stems of water spinach first, then blanch the leaves. Set aside.
Blanch the marinated pork for 45-60 secs.
On a plate, place the rice vermicelli or rice at one side, then add the pork and water spinach around the noodles or rice. Ladle the sauce over the pork, garnish with chilli and sprinkle some sesame seeds and peanuts on top. Serve.

Yuzu Mayonnaise Chicken Yakisoba

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To Cook
Mix soy sauce, mirin, olive oil, cooking salt, pepper in a small box until combined.
Cook the noodles in rapid boiling water for 3 minutes, discard water and put noodles in ice bath to avoid further cooking. Drain and set aside.
In a pan, gently cook garlic and red chilli in oil until fragrant. Stir fry chicken for 3-4 minutes, add mushrooms and asparagus until cook through. Add noodles and sauce mixture.
Cook, stir and mix through. Topping with Yuzu mayonnaise and serve.

Moon Viewing Udon Soup (Tsukimi Udon)

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To Prep
Using a damp kitchen towel, wipe the kombu. Cut in half and soak in water for 2 hrs.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tsukimi-2-Large.jpg

To Cook
To make dashi/soup, pour the soaking water and kombu into a pot and cook on medium heat till bubbles start to appear on the wall of pot. Remove kombu. Do not let it boil.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tsukimi-4-Large.jpg
Toss in the dried shiitake mushrooms, cover pot and let boil for 15 mins.
Add in the sliced carrots, fresh shiitake mushrooms and kamaboko, cook for 5 mins. Remove everything and set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tsukimi-5-Large.jpg
Add wakame and boil until they expand, remove and set aside.
Season the dashi with shoyu, sake, sugar and salt.
In another pot, boil water and cook udon according to package instructions. Divide into 2 bowls.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tsukimi-7-Large.jpg
Scoop broth over udon and arrange carrot, kamaboko, shiitake mushrooms, wakame and spring onions on top.
Crack egg and place on top of udon. Serve immediately.

Dan Dan Tofu Noodles

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To Prep
To start the noodle sauce, in a bowl combine together 4 tbsp soy sauce and the sesame paste, stir until fully combined. Then add in vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar and spring onions. Mix thoroughly.
Add the Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil, white pepper and Sichuan peppercorns to the sauce, stir until combined. Set aside.
Using a food processor, pulse king oyster mushrooms, 3 spring onions and garlic until finely chopped . Add in tofu pieces and pulse the mixture again, until all ingredients are finely chopped, (not a paste!).

To Cook
In a wok, add in vegetable oil until medium-high heat. Add in the Sichuan preserved vegetables and cook for 2 mins.
Reduce the heat, add the tofu and mushroom mixture, cooking for 2 mins, stirring very gently.
Pour 1½ tbsp LKK Premium soy and Shaoxing wine into the wok. Continue to cook for 7-8 mins, gently turning the mixture over so it does not stick to the pan. It should become lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the fresh wheat noodles according to packet instructions. Place pak choi into boiling water for 30 secs.
In 4 separate bowls, divide the cooked noodles, then ¼ of the sesame noodle sauce mixture to each, stir through lightly to combine.
Top noodles with a generous spoonful of tofu mixture, then add pak choi, finely sliced spring onion and peanuts.

Nuoc Cham Crunchy Prawn Salad

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To Prep
Mix the prawns, crushed garlic, chilli flakes and 1 tbsp oil and set aside for 10 mins.
Prepare the rice noodles according to packet instructions, drain well and place in a large bowl.

To Make the Nuoc Cham Sauce
Whisk the lime zest, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, chilli and fish sauce in a small bowl until completely dissolved.

To Make Salad
Heat a barbecue plate over high heat until hot and cook prawns, tossing, for 2 to 3 mins or until pink. Once cooked transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Add the cabbage, peas, cucumber, Nuoc Cham sauce and coriander to the bowl of noodles and toss to combine. Arrange salad in plates and top with prawns, thinly diced chilli and serve with a wedge of lime.

Note
You can always set aside half the Nuoc Cham sauce to pour over at the end as well.

10 Minute Noodles with Prawns and Chilli Oil

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To Cook
Cook the ramen noodles in a pot of boiling water until soft, but still slightly firm (they will continue to cook in the wok). Drain and set aside.
Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce and hoisin sauce in a small jug and stir to combine.
Heat the oil in a large wok over high heat until very hot. Add the eggs, prawns and garlic together and quickly stir until the eggs and prawns are cooked through.
Add the sauce to the wok and continue to cook, stirring over high heat, for another minute.
Add the cooked and drained noodles and stir fry over high heat until combined.
Add the spring onions and stir until combined.

To Serve
Serve the noodles on a large plate and top with fried shallots and the chopped coriander. Top with chilli in oil to individual taste. Enjoy!

Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Cantonese Chicken

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To Prep
Coat 500g of chicken tenderloins with 1 packet of Lee Kum Kee Ready Sauce for Cantonese Chicken.

To Cook the Chicken
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan on medium. Add tenderloins and cook on both sides until cooked through.
Remove chicken and let sauce simmer in the pan until it caramelises.
Return the chicken briefly to the pan to coat in the caramelised sauce. Remove chicken from the pan and let rest while making the rest of the salad.

To Cook The Noodles
Cook 250g of vermicelli noodles in boiling water until just tender. Tip into a colander and run under cold water immediately to make sure they don’t keep cooking.

To Make The Salad
Cut 2 carrots, 2 Lebanese cucumbers and 1 red capsicum into matchstick size pieces. Slice 1 baby cos lettuce and about 6 spring onion stalks (only green bit.)
Mix cool noodles and vegetables together in a salad bowl.

To make dressing
Mix half a cup of sweet chilli sauce with 3 tbsp of fish sauce, 2 tbsp white vinegar and 3 tbsp of boiling water to thin it out a bit.
Taste dressing and if you wish you can adjust the sweet, sour, salty flavors by adding more of the sweet chilli, vinegar or fish sauce respectively until it tastes just right for you.

To Serve
Mix dressing through the salad. Put vermicelli noodle salad on a plate. Cut tenderloins into 1cm slices then arrange on top of the salad.
Top with cashew nuts for some crunch and add some lemon wedges to squeeze over the top. Garnish with curled spring onion by cutting spring onion into thin matchsticks and placing in refrigerated water briefly until it curls.
Enjoy

Seared Scallops with Cha Soba & Ponzu

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To Prep
Remove the scallops from the shell. Rinse scallops and shells under cold water, then pat dry with paper towel.

To Cook
Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Cook cha soba for 5 mins, then dry and rinse under cold water.
Heat oil in a pan over high heat. Season scallops with salt, then add to pan. Cook for 1 min each side until golden brown. Remove from heat.
Use chopsticks to twirl small piles of cha soba noodles. Place onto scallop shells. Drizzle over ½ tbsp ponzu, then top with scallops. Sprinkle over black sesame seeds and garnish with micro herbs.