Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Rice

Japanese Beef Rice Bowl (Gyudon)

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To Prep
Cut and slice the onions in half and then thin lengthwise, from top to bottom (axis to axis).
Combine the soy sauce, sake, mirin and dashi into a bowl. Set aside.

To Make
Heat the sesame oil in a large flat pan over high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes, until the beef browns slightly. Add the sugar and wait 10 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until the onions begins to soften. Pour the liquid mixture into the pan. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the ingredients cook through. While the gyudon is simmering, use a large spoon to skim off any scum and fat that appears on the surface.
While the ingredients are simmering, divide the rice among 4 large bowls. As soon as the gyudon is ready, spoon it over the rice and serve immediately. Season with shichimi togarashi and beni shoga, as desired.

Chinese Steamed Rice Flour Cake (Huat Kueh)

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To Cook
Prepare a steamer by bringing water to boil on high heat.
Line each bowl with cling wrap or a piece of baking paper. Make sure the lining is as close to the sides as possible.
In a mixing bowl, sift rice flour, baking powder and icing sugar. Add water and food colouring, and mix well.
Just before filling the moulds with the batter add baking soda and mix well.
Fill each mould to ¾ full and steam on high heat for 15-20 mins. Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean, the huat kueh is ready.
Remove from steamer then take the huat kueh out from the moulds to cool.
Serve plain or with any breakfast spread. When it becomes dry and hard the next day, steam the cakes again before eating.

Chicken Congee

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To Cook
Place chicken drumsticks and a teaspoon of salt in six cups of boiling water and bring back to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.
Remove chicken and set aside to cool down. Add cooked rice to the broth and boil until rice thickens into porridge, stirring the whole time.
Chop up the white section of the spring onion and thinly slice up the green part.
Saute the chopped onion and the white spring onion with oil until fragrant. Add julienned ginger and continue to saute until onion is caramelised. Turn off heat.
Remove meat from chicken drumsticks and coarsely chop up chicken. Return chicken pieces to rice congee. Add extra water to congee if it becomes too thick.
Taste test. Add remaining salt as necessary. Add pepper, stir through and remove from heat.
Serve congee garnished with caramelised onion, ginger and sliced onion.

Japanese Rice Balls (Onigiri)

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To Cook
Cook rice in accordance to instructions.
Combine rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pour into rice with sesame seeds and mix well.
Cut the seaweed sheet into six strips. You may further cut the seaweed into any shape to decorate the onigiri.
Place 1/3 cup of rice over the centre of the cling wrap. Gather the ends of the cling wrap and squeeze to form a ball. To add filling, press an indent into the rice, add filling and mould the rice into a triangular shape or a ball.
Remove the cling wrap and cover the bottom of the onigiri with a seaweed strip.
Serve with Japanese soy sauce.

Sesame Rice Cakes

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To Cook
Combine rice, soy sauce, mirin, flour, spring onion and pepper and mix well.
Divide mixture into 10 equal portions and roll into balls. Flatten each rice ball slightly to form rice cakes. Sprinkle both sides with white or black sesame.
Fry rice patties in hot oil over medium heat until golden brown.

Japanese Green Tea Rice (Ochazuke)

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To Prep
Prepare hot Japanese green tea
Microwave cold rice and divide into two bowls.
Layer rice with salmon flakes, seaweed, sesame seeds, spring onion, mirin and however much wasabi you like.
Pour hot green tea over rice and serve immediately. Garnish with crispy puffed rice.
Add the desired amount of soy sauce to your personal liking.

Indonesian Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng)

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To Cook
Prepare the optional accompaniments – Javanese Fried Chicken, Beef Satay, Crispy Fried Shallots, Sambal Kecap, Krupuk and Mixed Vegetable Pickles.
Lightly grease a non-stick skillet with a little oil and fry the eggs sunny side up. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat the wok and add oil over medium heat and stir-fry the shallots, garlic, minced chilli and dried shrimp paste until fragrant for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the prawns and stir-fry until almost cooked and then add the cabbage and leftover cooked meat and continue to stir-fry until the cabbage is slightly wilted. Increase the heat to high, add the rice, salt and sweet Indonesian soy sauce and stir-fry until all the ingredients are mixed well and heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Transfer the fried rice to a serving platter, top with the fried eggs and arrange the accompaniments at the side, around the plate. Garnish with cucumber and tomato slices and serve with the accompaniments on the side.

Crab Curry Fried Rice (Khao Pad Boo Garee)

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To Cook
Sauté the garlic over medium-high heat in a bit of oil.
Add the sliced onion, crab meat, crab paste in soya bean oil, and curry powder. Sauté until the onions are just starting to cook but still fairly firm.
Add the cooked rice and mix everything together. Season with fish sauce and thin soy sauce, starting with 1 tsp of each and adding more if required.
Set the fried rice to the side of the wok. Add some oil, and then scramble your eggs in the center of the wok. Once cooked, stir into the fried rice.
Add the coriander and green onions and mix to incorporate.
Remove the heat and serve with the Thai dipping sauce (Nam Pla Prik) – a bowl of fish sauce with sliced Thai chilies and lime (optional)

Nasi Lemak

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To Prep
Wash the rice until the water runs clear.
Saute the lemongrass, pandan leaves, ginger, and shallots in a pot until fragrant.
Add the water and coconut milk to the pot and bring to a boil. Add a couple pinches of salt and mix thoroughly.
Pour the cleaned rice into a rice cooker pot together with the ingredients mentioned above.

Preparing the Sambal
Deep fry the half anchovies until crisp and golden.
In the frying oil on low heat, add in the chilli paste, minced onions, and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent.
Add in the sugar and mix thoroughly.
Next, mix in the tamarind paste and the rest of the anchovies and allow the sambal to cook over low heat.
Finally, add salt and sugar to taste.

To Assemble
Prepare a hard-boiled egg.
Scoop the cooked rice into a rice bowl, then cover with a plate. Then, flip over the plate and remove the rice bowl. Place the egg on or next to the rice.
Add a tbsp each of the fried anchovies, fried peanuts, and sambal. Garnish with a few slices of cucumber. Serve hot.