Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Noodles

Vegetarian Pad Thai

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To Prep
Place rice noodles in bowl and soak in room temperature tap water for 40-45 mins. Drain and cover with hot water for 2 mins until noodles are silky but still a touch firm.
Mix sauce ingredients in small bowl adding ¼ cup water.

To Cook
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for 30 secs.
Add Tofu and cook until golden.
Push the ingredients to one side of the pan and pour the egg in on the other side. Scramble using the wooden spoon (add touch of extra oil if pan is too dry), then mix into Tofu.
Add bean sprouts, noodles and then Sauce.
Toss gently for about 1½ mins until Sauce is absorbed by the noodles.
Add spring onions/ garlic chives and half the peanuts. Toss through quickly then remove from heat.

To Serve
Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining peanuts, lime wedges on the side, a sprinkle of chilli and a handful of extra bean sprouts. Squeeze over lime juice to taste before eating.

Sesame Tofu & Sweet Corn Ramen

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To Prep
Drain & press the tofu overnight, cut into 2cm square strips, marinate in the teriyaki sauce for 3-4 hrs.
Remove the tofu from the marinade, pat dry, dip into the egg/almond milk mixture and coat with black and white sesame seeds. Chill for 30 mins.

To Cook
Place the vegetable stock, white miso paste, sesame oil, togarashi spice, cooking sake into a saucepan and simmer for 5 mins.
Add the sweet corn kernels, baby corn and shredded nori and simmer for 1-2 mins; set aside, keeping warm.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the Hakubaku Organic Ramen noodles, cook for 4-5 mins, drain and keep warm.
Heat a little oil in a heavy based fry pan, cook the sesame coated tofu, turning to brown each side. When cooked, drain on kitchen paper and slice.

To Serve
Place the noodles & broth in a bowl, arrange the sesame tofu and hard boiled eggs on top. Garnish with enoki mushrooms, nori and chives.

Soba Soy Salad

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To Cook
Chop all the ingredients and cook the noodles as per the instructions on the packet, then combine.
To make the dressing, combine vegetable oil, sesame oil, and crushed red peppers in a small saucepan.
Whisk over heat for 3 mins, then add the honey and soy sauce, stir until combined and then allow to cool before dressing salad.

Chicken and Prawn Laksa

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To Make Chicken Stock and Prawns
Place chicken stock ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to simmer, then reduce to medium-high. 
Cook for 25 mins or until chicken flesh falls off the bone and liquid reduces by about a third.

Discard skin, pull the flesh off the bone and place in a bowl, discard bones. Set broth aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Cook the prawns, in batches, turning occasionally, for 5 mins or until prawns curl and change colour. Transfer to a serving platter. 

To Make Laksa Chilli Sauce
Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside for 20 mins.


To Make Laksa Broth
Heat oil in a large saucepan or small pot over medium low heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 20 secs, then add lemongrass and chillies. Cook for 1 min.
Add the laksa curry paste. Turn heat up to medium and cook for 2 mins, stirring constantly, or until fragrant.

Add chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and 2 tsp of laksa chilli paste. Place lid on and simmer for 10 mins.
Adjust to taste using lime juice and fish sauce. Add tofu puffs. Leave on turned off stove with lid on for 5 mins.

To Assemble Laksa
Divide noodles between 2 bowls. Top with shredded chicken.
Pour broth over chicken. Top with bean sprouts and the rest of the garnishes. Serve with Laksa chilli sauce on the side.


Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

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To Prep
In a large bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients (ginger, galangal, garlic, palm sugar, five spice powder and fish sauce) and mix until sugar is dissolved.
Place meat into bowl and coat with spice mixture. Set aside to marinate for 25 mins.

To Cook
Using a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil on a high heat. Add in garlic, shallot and lemongrass and stir for 3 mins until the shallot becomes translucent.
Place the beef in the pot and brown on each side. Reduce heat to medium, add tomato paste and cook for 4-5 mins.
Add to the pot the star anise, chilli powder, paprika, white pepper, water and coconut water. Simmer for 60 mins, stirring occasionally.
Once the hour is up, add in the chiu chow oil, soy and carrots. Continue cooking for another 35-40 mins.
Prepare the egg noodles according to the packet instructions, then divide between 4 bowls.

To Serve
Remove the star anise from the soup then carefully ladle mixture over the noodles, ensuring there is a generous amount of beef and carrots.
Top the soup with Thai basil, coriander, sliced shallot and lime.
Enjoy!

Mie Goreng Jawa (Javanese Fried Noodles)

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To Make the Flavouring Paste
Blend all ingredients until very finely chopped. Set aside.

To Cook the Mie Goreng
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan or wok on high heat. Add prawns and stir fry until just cooked. Remove from pan.
Add chicken, stir fry until well cooked. Remove from pan.
Add more oil to the pan if necessary. Break eggs into the pan, let sit for a few seconds, then stir until cooked, but leave it in chunks.
Add 1 tbsp oil into the pan. Add in the Flavouring Paste, stir until fragrant and starting to dry (approx. 2 mins). Add beef balls, cabbage, carrots, water and stir until vegetables have softened and balls are warmed through.
Stir in tomatoes and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Return the noodles, prawns and chicken to the pan and add in the sweet soy sauce, soy sauce and chilli sauce. Stir until well combined and warmed through.

To Serve
Sprinkle over fried shallots. Serve immediately.

Chashu Ramen (Braised Pork Belly Ramen)

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To Make the Broth
Rinse the bones under cold water, place them in a tray and brown them in the oven at 220°C (fan forced) for 15-20 mins.
Transfer the bones into a pot and add water until they are fully covered. Add in the other broth ingredients (5 garlic cloves, 40g sliced ginger, spring onion & shallots).
Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 3-6 hrs.

To Make the Braised Pork Belly
In a sauce pan, mix the light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, mirin, Japanese sake, sugar, star anise, dry red chilli, garlic cloves, ginger and whole black pepper and bring to simmer for 2 mins.
Take off the heat and set the braising liquid aside.
Pat dry the pork belly and season with salt and pepper.
Place the pork belly in a roast tray and pour the braising liquid over it.
Wrap the tray with aluminium foil and place in a pre-heated oven at 220°C for 30 mins.
After 30 mins, reduce the oven to 180°C and let the pork cook for another 2 hrs while basting the pork belly every 40 mins.
After 2 hrs, remove the aluminium foil and cook for another 15 mins.
Set the pork aside to cool until ready to serve.

To Serve
Boil the ramen noodle and the corn cob for about 4-5 mins. Place in a bowl.
For the soft boiled egg, place your eggs in boiling water for 7 mins then remove the eggs and place in ice-cold water for 2 mins. Place in the bowl on top of the noodle.
Cut the pork belly and assemble on the noodle, along with the enoki mushrooms.
Pour in the broth until the noodles are covered and add in 25ml of the braising liquid mix with the ponzu sauce in each bowl.
Top with some spring onion and serve!

Hot Pot (Beef Stock with Tom Yum Paste)

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To Prep
Wash and cut all the vegetables. Arrange them on a plate.
Prepare your choice of meat and arrange them on a plate.
Prepare your dipping sauce, bowl, spoon, chopsticks, wire basket or slotted spoon.
Place your portable stove in the middle of the dining table.

To Cook
Combine the beef stock, tom yum paste, soy sauce, fish sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer.
Put a small portion of your favourite ingredients such as fish balls, cheese fish tofu, carrots, beef, vegetables, shrimps, mushrooms, tofu, chilli into the broth (place the ingredients that take longer to cook first).
Let the ingredients simmer until cooked.
Enjoy hotpot food with the dipping sauce, add some lemon to taste too.
You can use chopsticks, wire basket or slotted spoons to dish out the cooked ingredients and put into your bowl.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients. At the end of the meal enjoy the delicious stock.

Spring rolls with Noodle and Herbs

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To Prep
Place the pork, glass noodles, cabbage, carrot, sugar, sesame oil, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chicken stock powder and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined.
Mix cornflour and water in a small bowl.
Separate the spring roll wrappers. Keep the unused ones covered under damp paper towel.
Place a spring roll wrapper on a plate in diamond pattern. Scoop about 1 tbsp of the spring roll mixture and place in the middle of the wrapper. Roll it up and fold both sides in. Roll it up to the end and dab some of the cornflour mixture at the top of the wrapper to secure it in.
Repeat until all wrappers are gone.

To Cook
Heat oil in a wok until it’s hot. Make sure oil covers spring rolls. Cooking in batches, carefully place spring rolls in hot oil and cook until golden and crisp. Roughly about 5 mins.
Drain on a paper towel. Repeat with all the spring rolls.

To Serve
Arrange noodles, beansprout, herbs and carrot on a serving bowl.
Make the dipping sauce by combine dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until the sugar has dissolved.
Arrange spring rolls on top of the noodles. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.

Banana Prawns & Rice Noodles with Tangy Lime & Oyster Sauce

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To Prep
Prepare the rice noodles, following the packet directions. Drain and set aside.
Combine the sauce ingredients, set aside.

To Cook
Heat wok and add the sesame oil.
Add the red onion, capsicum & red chilli and cook for 2-3 mins.
Add the prawns and cook for 2-3 mins (or until almost cooked through)
Add the sauce and simmer for 1 min.
Gently toss the rice noodles through the mixture, cook over low heat until warmed through.
Add the coriander and cucumber, stir to combine, check and adjust the seasoning.

To Serve
Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

Soba Soy Salad

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To Cook
Chop all the ingredients and cook the noodles as per the instructions on the packet, then combine.
To make the dressing, combine vegetable oil, sesame oil, and crushed red peppers in a small saucepan.
Whisk over heat for 3 mins, then add the honey and soy sauce, stir until combined and then allow to cool before dressing salad.

Bun Ga Thom (Vietnamese Fragrant Chicken Vermicelli)

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To Prep
Prepare the marinade in a large bowl: Mix the marinade ingredients thoroughly to ensure the sugar has dissolved.
Add the chicken and mix well to fully coat with marinade. Set aside to marinate for a minimum of 1 hr, preferably longer if you have time. (For food safety, marinate in the fridge for longer periods).
After chicken has marinated, place the vermicelli into a bowl and pour over boiling water until it covers the noodles. Loosen the noodles with a fork and set aside for 5 mins. Rinse noodles under cold water and drain well. Divide noodles between 4 bowls.
In a small bowl, add in the sauce ingredients, continue stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved.

To Cook
Heat a large fry pan with oil to medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until it is cooked through, it will start to caramelise (approximately 3 mins per side). Remove from the heat and set aside for a few mins to rest.
Prepare the chicken for serving by slicing into strips (about 1cm wide).
Prepare each bowl of vermicelli with a generous amount of mint and Thai basil leaves and Thai mint along with the vegetables. Add the sliced chicken, spoon over some of the sauce and finally top with peanuts, lime and chilli to taste.
Enjoy!