To Cook
Cover tofu with paper towel to draw out excess liquid for 15 mins, and then cut into small cubes. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cornflour, pepper and salt. Heat oil in a saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. Dip tofu cubes into cornflour mixture and then carefully drop into hot oil. Once golden brown, remove from oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towel.
Combine soy sauce and sliced chillies in a small bowl and set aside.
To assemble, add cooked brown rice into a bowl. Top with carrot, grilled bok choy, cucumber, salt and pepper tofu, avocado and radish. Serve with chilli soy sauce.
Rice
Korean Buddha Bowl
To Prep
Combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame oil and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Add in steak and coat in marinade. Cover bowl in cling wrap and set aside in fridge to marinate for at least 1 hr or overnight.
To Cook
After steak has marinated, heat oil in a pan over high heat. Once oil has come to temperature, reduce to medium-low heat and place steak in pan. Cook for 30 secs on each side, or until browned. Continue to cook, turning every 20 secs until cooked to desired doneness. Remove from heat and allow to rest on a plate for 5 mins before slicing.
To assemble, add cooked white rice into a bowl. Top with carrot, red cabbage, kimchi, sliced steak and fried egg. Drizzle over sriracha, and garnish with sesame seeds and spring onion before serving.
Vegetarian Fritter Hand Roll
To Prep
Add the sushi vinegar to the cooked sushi rice and gentle fold in to the rice until well incorporated.
Combine 3 tbsp of the tempura flour with the ice water in a mixing bowl and lightly stir them together. Try not to over mix the batter.
Put the remaining tablespoon of flour in to a separate bowl along with the cut vegetables. Season lightly before mixing to coat all of the ingredients.
Pour in the batter and lightly mix through to further coat the ingredients.
To Cook
Heat a pan with about 2 cm of oil to deep-fry up to about 180°C.
Place spoonfuls of the vegetable mix in to the pan and cook until golden on both sides. Let cool on paper towels to drain the excess oil.
When the fritters have cooled, cut them in to halves or in to sections that will fit in to the hand roll.
To Assemble
Cut nori sheets in half. Place sushi rice and the rest of the fillings onto one side of nori.
Fold the nearest corner of the nori over the filling and start to shape.
The finished hand roll should be shaped conically to prevent any rice from falling out from the bottom.
Serve with teriyaki sauce or eel sauce on top!
Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls with Prawns
To Make Rice Paper Rolls
Put the rice noodles in to a heatproof bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover them.
Let noodles cook until they soften before draining the water and rinsing the noodles under cold water.
Dip the rice paper sheet in to a bowl of water before draining it and placing it on to a clean work surface.
Arrange on to the rice paper sheet 2 of the prawn halves, 2 mints leaves, and some of the rice noodles.
Fold the sides of the rice paper roll before folding the bottom half of the wrapper over the fillings.
Before rolling to finish the roll, stick a couple of the chives on to the roll and then finish rolling.
Transfer to a serving plate and then repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Serve with chilli sauce or hoisin sauce!
Korean Rice Punch (Sikhye)
To Prep
Soak powdered malt barley in 10 cups of water for 1 hr. Twirl barley a few times to loosen the husks.
Strain malt barley in a fine colander or a fine muslin over a bowl. Squeeze the barley thoroughly before discarding the husks.
Leave the strained malt water in a bowl and let it rest for about 4-5 hours. You should have the top part of malt barley water clear and the bottom white with sediment.
To Cook
Place cooked rice at the bottom of a rice cooker. Pour the top part of the malt barley water over the rice, taking care not to pour in the white sediment at the bottom of the bowl. Make sure that the rice is fully covered.
Put on the “keep warm” option in your rice cooker for around 4-5 hours or until the rice granules start rising to the top. Alternatively, use a double boiler at 55-60°C instead of a rice cooker.
Turn off the rice cooker and strain the sikhae liquid through a colander into a bowl. Rinse the rice with water a few times and drain thoroughly in a colander. Store dried rice in the fridge and set the sikhye liquid aside.
Pour strained sikhye liquid into a pot and add 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil and skim off any impurities that float to the top. Simmer for about 8 mins over medium to low heat. Add more sugar if necessary. Turn off heat, let the sikhye cool to room temperature and store in the fridge.
To serve, pour chilled sikhye into a small bowl or glass, spoon in some rice granules and sprinkle with pine nuts.
Tempura Prawn Hand Roll
To Prep
Add the sushi vinegar to the cooked sushi rice and gentle fold in to the rice until well incorporated.
Combine 125 g of tempura flour and ice water together in a mixing bowl and lightly stir them together. Don’t over mix as pockets of flour will make the batter airy. Pour the remaining 50 g of flour in to a separate bowl.
To Cook
Heat the oil to about 180°C, then dredge the prawns one by one in the tempura flour, then into the batter and fry in batches till golden brown. Let cool on paper towels to drain the excess oil.
To Make the Roll
Halve the seaweed sheets. Place sushi rice and then the lettuce, cucumber and prawn onto one side of nori.
Fold the nearest corner of the nori over the filling and start to shape.
The hand roll should be shaped cone shaped to stop any rice from falling out.
Serve with teriyaki sauce or eel sauce on top!
Japanese Rice Congee (Okayu)
To Cook
After 30 mins of soaking sushi rice in a claypot, drain water and add 1 cup of water to the rice. Cover claypot and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to the lowest. Remove lid and stir the rice to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the claypot. Return the lid to the claypot to keep it covered, continue to simmer on lowest heat possible for a further 30 mins.
After 30 mins of simmering, turn heat off and let it sit with lid on for a further 10 mins. Rice should be soft and thicken by then. Remove lid and serve on individual bowls, followed by your preferred toppings.
Leftover sushi rice may be used for this recipe. Instead of pre-soaking for 30 mins, add cooked rice into the claypot and 2 times of water to it, example 1 cup of cooked rice to 2 cups of water. Cook stirring occasionally over medium low heat. Adjust consistency of congee to your liking by adding more water.
Vietnamese Broken Rice with Grilled Pork (Com Tam)
To Make Dipping Sauce
Place all dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well until sugar is dissolved.
To Cook the Pork Chops
Tenderize the pork chops until even thickness.
Mix the remaining ingredients until well-combined. Coat the pork chops with the sauce and marinade for at least 1 hr or overnight.
Heat a grill or frying pan with oil. Grill the meat until done, about 1-2 mins on each side. Remove and set aside.
To Make the Meatloaf
Set 2 egg yolks aside, add the remaining eggs into a bowl and beat well.
Add the rest of the meatloaf ingredients and mix well.
Grease a square or loaf tin and place the mixture into the tin. Spread evenly and steam covered for 30 mins.
Spread reserved egg yolks on the top of the meatloaf and steam uncovered for 5 min. Remove and let cool before slicing.
To Serve
In a serving plate, place the broken rice, grilled pork chop, meatloaf slice, fried egg, shredded pork skin, cucumber slices and pickled carrot and radish slices. Garnish with sautéed spring onion and serve with dipping sauce.
Thai Rice Soup with Pork (Khao Tom Moo)
To Prep
Mix the minced pork with the soy sauce and a large pinch of black pepper. Combine well and form into meatballs.
To Cook
Boil the stock in a pot on high heat. Once the stock begins to boil add the pork and reduce the heat enough for the stock to be at a simmer.
Add the rice into the simmering stock and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the spring onions, celery and season with fish sauce, sugar and black pepper to taste.
Serve in individual bowls and garnish with chilli coriander and the Thai fried garlic.
Dried Scallops and Minced Pork Congee
To Begin
In a bowl, marinade minced pork with soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil. Mix well and set aside.
Place washed rice in a large pot. Add soaked scallops and water. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to medium and tilt the lid. Allow to simmer while stirring occasionally for 30 mins. If congee becomes too thick at any point, add in ½ cup water and stir to dilute.
Using clean hands, drop in marinated minced pork bit by bit to break into small chunks. Add salt and continue to simmer for 5-10 mins until minced pork is cooked.
Transfer to individual serving bowls and garnish with spring onions, ginger and fried shallots. Drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce according to taste. Add a dash of ground white pepper if desired.
Fish Congee
To Begin
In a bowl, marinade fish slices with soy sauce, ground pepper and sesame oil for 30 mins.
Meanwhile, place washed rice in a large pot, Add ginger and water. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to medium and tilt the lid. Allow to simmer while stirring occasionally for 30 mins. If congee becomes too thick at any point, add in ½ cup water and stir to dilute.
Once the congee is ready, put in marinated fish slices and salt. Stir well to combine. Continue to cook for another 3 mins until fish is cooked.
Transfer to individual bowls and garnish with spring onions, ginger, coriander and You Char Kway. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce. Add a dash of ground pepper if desired.
Braised Daikon with Minced Pork (Daikon no Soboro-an)
To Cook
In a pot, place the daikon and rice and add water to cover daikon. Bring to boil, cook for 10 mins or until the daikon is nearly cooked through. Drain well.
Rinse with cold water. Drain well.
In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat, add mince and stir-fry to break the lumps, until the colour turns pale brown.
Add the daikon and stir, then mix in the rests of the ingredients, other than the cornflour solution. Cover the surface with a drop lid or a piece of aluminium foil with holes on it.
Turn the heat to low when it starts boiling. Cook for 10 mins.
Remove the drop lid and add the well-mixed cornflour solution.
Turn the heat off when the sauce is thickened and serve with spring onion garnish.