Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Rice

Tofu Poke Bowl

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To Prep
Drain tofu and place the tofu flat in between paper towel to soak up liquid. Cut into 2cm cubes.
Put the tofu cubes in a large mixing bowl, mix together soy sauce, mirin and 1 tbsp oil. Set aside for 10 mins.

To Cook
In a large nonstick pan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add tofu cubes to the heated pan and sprinkle with salt, shaking off excess marinade. Reserve marinade. Fry tofu for 15 mins, tossing every 5 mins, ensuring tofu is crisp on all sides.
Carefully pour in the reserved marinade, reserving 2 tbsp. Stir to coat all of the tofu cubes and lower the heat to simmer. Cook for 4-5 mins, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Dust the shichimi togarashi onto the tofu.
Marinate the seaweed with a little bonito soy sauce, minced garlic and sesame oil. Set aside.
To serve, layer a plate or bowl with rice, then top with tofu, veggies, drizzle with remaining sauce, and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on the dish. Enjoy!

Balinese Black Rice Pudding (Bubur Injin)

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To Prep
Rinse both types of glutinous rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear, and soak overnight.

To Cook
In a saucepan, bring the glutinous rice, water and pandan leaves or extract to a boil over medium heat and simmer uncovered for about 40 mins, stirring occasionally until the rice is soft and cooked, with porridge-like consistency. Discard the pandan leaves, if using. Add the palm sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 mins before removing from the heat.
Combine the coconut cream and salt in a bowl and mix well.
To serve, spoon the pudding into individual serving bowls and top with the salted coconut cream.

Korean Fried Rice (Kimchi Kibokum Bap)

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To Cook
Add 1 tbsp oil and butter (or sesame oil) to a heated pan. Add kimchi and carrots and cook until kimchi starts to soften, about 5 mins.
Push cooked kimchi to one side of the pan and add meat and cook quickly until meat is cooked, seasoning the meat with salt and pepper, should take about 2 mins. Stir kimchi and meat together to combine.
Add rice to the meat and kimchee mixture and fry quickly over high heat until rice is well combined with fish sauce and spring onions, continuously stirring with a wooden spoon. Season the rice with salt and pepper.
Pour 1 tbsp oil to another heated frying pan and fry eggs sunny side up.
Serve eggs on top of kimchi fried rice.

Japanese Tea Rice (Ochazuke)

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To Prep
Mix all sauce ingredients, rest in the fridge for up to 2 hrs to enhance flavours.
Cut kingfish (or salmon/tuna) into 1.5cm cubes, toss in the sauce to coat.
Place rice in 4 bowls, top with kingfish, nori, shichimi and wasabi.
Pour over hot tea just before serving.

Korean Pork Bibimbap

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To Cook
Set aside each type of vegetables on one big plate after the following cooking steps.
Heat pan and ½ tbsp oil. Add carrot and cook briefly about 20 secs. Season lightly with salt.
Repeat sauté process as above with zucchini but add ⅛ tbsp garlic and ½ tbsp green onions.
Repeat with shitake mushrooms but season lightly with soy sauce.
Mix salad leaves with ⅛ tbsp garlic, ½ tbsp green onions and 1½ tbsp of sesame oil.
In a saucepan, place soybean sprouts with ⅛ tbsp garlic, 1 tbsp sesame oil and 2 tbsp water. Cook for about 5 mins until sprouts are cooked.
Drain and add ½ tbsp green onions and ¼ tsp Korean chilli powder. Season with salt.
In a bowl, ladle 1 cup of cooked rice. Arrange vegetables, meat and then an egg on top. Drizzle some sesame oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds. Serve with Korean chilli paste for individual taste. Repeat with another 3 bowls. Mix Korean chilli paste with rice and topping before eating.

Thai Crab Fried Rice (Kao Pad Bpu)

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To Cook
In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil over medium high heat and saute garlic until golden. Add the egg and break the yolk. Let it fry a little then gently scramble.
Add in the rice and press to break the lumps. Add in the crabmeat then toss fast to mix.
Add the seasonings and continue to stir until well-mixed and rice is heated through. Add spring onions and toss to mix.
Remove from heat and serve with slice of lime, chilli flakes and Thai dipping sauce. Garnish with coriander.

Korean Sushi Roll (Gim Bap)

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To Prep
Mix rice with 2 tbsp sesame oil and ½-1 tsp salt in a bowl and set aside. Also set aside bulgogi and sliced danmooji.

To Cook
Pour ½-1 tbsp oil to a heated pan and pour eggs and make a thin omelette over medium heat, omelette should be pale in colour. Cut into thin strips when cooled and set aside.
Pour ½-1 tbsp oil to a heated pan and quickly sauté carrots for about 30 secs and season with salt and set aside.
Squeeze excess water out of spinach, mix with ½ tbsp sesame oil, ¼ cloves of garlic and 2 pinches of salt in a bowl and set aside.
Place sushi mat on a board. Place gim (nori sheet) on the mat, place ⅓- ½ cups of rice on gim, covering about ⅔ of the sheet. Place all the ingredients on top of the rice, lining them up horizontally and close together. Roll the gim (nori sheet), using your mat until you have a cylinder shape. Squeeze the roll inside the mat gently so that the gimbap is not too loose.
Repeat with all the other ingredients until you have a desired number of gimbap rolls. Cut gimbap into bite sized pieces, usually 8-10.

Glutinous Rice with Diced Chinese Pork Sausage

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To Cook
Mix shrimp with rice, add to the rice cooker, along with the water. Place pork sausages and mushroom on top of rice and turn on to cook until ready.
When rice is done, remove mushrooms and sausages and set aside. Mix sauce ingredients and stir through to rice.
In a clean bowl, place mushrooms and sausages, then add the sticky rice and press to form the shape. Turnover to serve on a plate, garnish with coriander.
Serves 4 with an accompaniment of freshly steamed vegetables.

Vegetarian Thai Pineapple Fried Rice with Cashew Nuts (Khao Pad Sapparod)

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To Cook
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat, pour in the eggs and cook, stirring frequently for about 30 secs or until the eggs are scrambled and lightly set.
Transfer the eggs to an empty bowl. Wipe the wok with a paper towel.
Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the wok and add tofu puffs, broccoli, pineapple and red pepper. Stir constantly for 3-5 mins or until the liquid has evaporated and the pineapple is caramelized.
Add in the spring onions and garlic, stir constantly for 30 secs or until fragrant. Transfer to the bowl of eggs.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining vegetable oil to the wok. Pour in the cashews and stir until fragrant. Add the rice to the wok and mix through. Continue frying for 3 mins until rice is hot and fluffy.
Pour the contents of the bowl back into the wok and stir to combine, breaking up the scrambled eggs with the spatula. When everything is warmed through, turn heat off. Add soy and sriracha sauce, to taste. Serve.

Vegetarian Thai Fried Rice

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To Cook
Heat cooking oil in a wok on high, sauté garlic and onions.
Add cauliflowers and tofu puffs, stirring for 3-4 mins, allowing to soften.
Move the vegetables to a side of the wok, add in the eggs to the other side and cook scrambled.
When the eggs are cooked, stir into the vegetables. Add rice, sriracha, soy sauce, and peas. Stir and allow to heat through, about 10 mins.
Serve with cucumbers and tomatoes and garnish with coriander, spring onion and lime/lemon.

Crab Fried Rice

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To Cook
Cook rice according to the package and set aside. Be careful not to overcook it (or use leftover rice).
Whisk egg with ½ tsp salt and set aside.
In a wok, preheat oil on medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant.
Add crab meat and saute for a minute.
Add rice and mix well. Move all the rice to one side of the pan.
Pour whisked egg mixture to the free side and let it sit there until almost cooked.
Start mixing in rice and egg until evenly incorporated throughout.
Add oyster sauce, salt, pepper and mix well.
Add spring onion and squeeze lime juice all over and mix well.
Serve immediately and top with some chopped spring onion.