Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Seafood

Thai Prawn Skewers

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Process coriander roots, lemongrass, chilli, garlic, ginger and palm sugar in a food processor then add the lime juice, fish sauce and coconut milk.
Place prawns in a bowl and pour over marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hrs.

To Cook
Drain marinade into a saucepan and bring to the boil, simmering for 1 min.
Place the skewers on the char grill over high heat and cook for just a min either side.

To Serve
Place on a platter and pour over cooked marinade. Sprinkle chopped coriander over the top and serve with lime wedges.

Seared Scallops with Cha Soba & Ponzu

by Leave a Comment

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.

Char Kueh Tiaw

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
In a small bowl, mix the Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce and Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce, and set aside.

To Cook
Heat wok over high heat until smoky, add 1 tbsp cooking oil.
Add garlic in wok, and give it a quick stir.
Add Chinese sausage and prawns, stir until combined.
Add flat rice noodles and add half of the soy sauce mixture, stir to coat flat rice noodles.
Position the flat rice noodles to side of wok to create a well on the other side of wok.
Place remaining 1 tbsp cooking oil in the well on the other side of the wok and crack eggs into well.
Cover flat rice noodles over egg, add remaining half of the soy sauce mixture, mix until combined.
Add in garlic chives and bean sprouts, mix until combined. Remove from heat immediately and serve hot.

Sushi Stack with Egg Floss and Spicy Mango Kewpie

by Leave a Comment

To Prep Rice
To make 4 sushi stacks heat up 3 cups of precooked short gran rice in the microwave until steaming. (Or cook rice as per packet instruction if you don’t have any precooked rice handy.)
Spread in a wide dish and drizzle 9 tbsp Obento sushi seasoning over rice and fold through. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

To Prep Fillings
Cut 1 large Lebanese cucumber into approximately 1cm cubes.
Peel and finely grate 1 carrot.
Cut 8 crab sticks into rough chunks approximately 1cm. Mix 1 tbsp Kewpie Mayonnaise through crab stick.
Using scissors cut 1 Obento Yaki Nori for Sushi seaweed sheet into 2cm squares.
Mash 1 avocado (if serving is delayed add some lemon juice to keep avocado from going brown, otherwise leave as is if serving straight away).
Slice 2 stalks of spring onion for garnish

To Prep Mango Dipping Sauce
Cut and mash one mango cheek until it has a thin consistency. Mix through 1 tbsp Kewpie Mayonnaise and 1 tsp sriracha sauce

To Cook the Egg Floss.
Whisk 1 egg plus egg yolk thoroughly. Mix 1 tsp cornflour with a small amount of water then whisk into egg. Mix in vinegar and salt.
Heat approximately 2cm deep oil in a deep saucepan. When oil is extremely hot pour half egg through the holes in a wide skimming spoon.
Note: The egg will rapidly expand when it hits the oil so this should be done in a deep saucepan for safety. Toss the egg briefly until golden then quickly scoop out to drain onto paper towel.

To Assemble the Sushi Stack
In a round take away container, place a 1cm layer of the crab mix. Sprinkle a thin layer of grated carrot over the crab.
Add a 1cm layer of sushi rice and use wet hands to push down firmly into the container. Place a layer of sushi squares over the rice then spread a ½cm layer of avocado over seaweed.
Place a 1cm layer of chopped cucumber. Finally add a 1cm layer of sushi rice. Again use wet hands to gently push down the rice and make sure the whole stack is packed tightly

To Serve
Flip the sushi stack inside the takeaway container upside down on your serving plate. Gently squeeze sides and tap top to remove without disrupting the layers.
Top the sushi stack with egg floss and sprinkle with chopped spring onion. Serve immediately with soy sauce and spicy mango Kewpie dipping sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Creamy Chilli Coconut Prawns

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
In a wok/pan, heat up some oil on high heat.
Add in the prawns and toss for about 30 secs on high heat.
Add in the minced garlic and toss for another 30 secs on high heat.
Add in the salt, pepper and sugar and combine well on medium heat for about 10 secs.
Add in the Valcom Authentic Thai Tom Yum paste and toss well for 30 secs.
Add in the coconut cream and let it cook for 1 min until the sauce thickens a little bit.
Add in the chopped chilli and spring onions and toss for around 20 sec.

To Serve
Remove from heat, top with some fresh basil leaves and squeeze some fresh lime juice. Can be served with steamed rice.

Mixed Seafood Stir-fried With Red Curry Paste

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Using a mortar and pestle pound garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime skin and bird eyes chilli (if using) until a coarse paste.

To Cook
Heat a wok, pour in the oil then add the paste from step one. Fry over medium heat until fragrant; about 1 min. Then add in the red curry paste and fry for about 1 or 2 mins.
Add mussels and calamari, fry them for about a min and then add the prawns and salmon into the pan.
Season with dark brown sugar and chicken bouillon powder then add water. Simmer for a moment until all is cooked.
Add beans and stir a few moments then finish with torn kaffir lime leaves, sliced red chilli and basil leaves.
Serve with Thai jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Fried Shrimp Dumpling

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Put pork, carrot, spring onion, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil in a bowl and mix well.
Spoon the pork mix on the dumpling skin and then add a prawn into it before closing the dumpling skin, using two fingers to press it.

To Cook
Heat the pan over a medium heat, add 2 tbsp oil then put the prawn dumpling into the pan and fry the dumpling bottom until golden brown.
Whisk 2 eggs and pour them around the dumplings and continue to cook covered with lid until the egg is cooked.
Sprinkle chopped spring onion and sesame seed to serve.

Okonomiyaki

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Combine the plain flour and baking powder in a bowl and stir together with a whisk.
Dissolve the bonito dashi stock powder in the water and gradually add the dashi stock while mixing. This will help avoid pockets of flour.
Add a pinch of salt and the cornflour.
Cut the pork belly slices into 5-6cm pieces. Remove the stalks of the cabbage leaves. Stack the leaves on top of each other and cut into strips, and then coarsely chop into pieces.
Place the cabbage leaves into the bowl of batter. Chop the spring onion into fine pieces and place into the bowl. Chop the beni shoga into about 1cm pieces and add to bowl.
Coarsely chop the prawns and place into the bowl.
Crack two eggs into the bowl and lightly toss all the ingredients to coat.
Try not to mix the batter too much otherwise the texture of the okonomiyaki will become tough.

To Cook
Heat a non-stick fry pan or bbq plate to medium and coat the surface with oil. Place the mixture onto the hot surface making a round shape. Make sure to leave a bit of batter in the bowl for later use.
Quickly place the pork slices onto the mixture. Coat the surface of the pork with the remaining batter. This will prevent the pork from getting tough.
Cover with a lid and cook about 2 mins on high heat.
Turn the okonomiyaki over, cover and cook until the other side is golden brown.
Remove the lid, flip it over again and lower the heat to medium to cook the inside.

To Serve
When it is ready to serve, coat it with the okonomiyaki sauce.
Sprinkle on lots of spring onion leaves and garnish with Kewpie Mayonnaise. Finally, top with the aonori seaweed and dried bonito flakes.

Thai Red Curry Salmon Cake Rice Bowl

by Leave a Comment

To Make the Chilli Coconut Sauce
Bring the ABC Original Chilli Sauce and TCC Premium Coconut Milk to boil, reduce to a simmer until mixture is halved. Add the zest, juice and Squid Brand Fish Sauce into the pot, stir and cook for a further 2 mins. Set aside to cool.

To Prep the Red Curry Salmon Cakes
Slice the salmon fillets into 1cm cubes and then chop vigorously into a chunky mince. Do not use a food processor to do this, as you do not want to puree the flesh. Place into a bowl.
Crush the garlic and ginger with a little salt using a mortar and pestle into a paste. Scrape into the bowl.
Add the Valcom Kaffir Lime Leaves, Valcom Authentic Thai Red Curry Paste, Squid Brand Fish Sauce and remaining ingredients to the salmon, mixing until well combined.

To Cook Red Curry Salmon Cakes
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick fry pan on low to medium. Scoop slightly heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the pan.
Flatten slightly and cook for a few mins until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel, repeat with the remaining mixture.

To Cook the Coriander and Lime Rice
Drain and rinse the konjac rice.
Pop into a dry non-stick fry pan on low to medium heat and cook while stirring continuously until all the moisture is gone. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the frozen cauliflower rice and again cook until the moisture has gone.
Return the konjac rice and stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the konjac rice has heated through.

To Serve
Cut the baby bok choy in half and wash away any sediment. Blanche in boiling water for 3 mins. Drain on a paper towel and dress with Yeo’s Pure Sesame oil.
To plate up, divide the coriander & lime rice, baby bok choy and Thai red curry salmon cakes between 2 plates.
Dress the salmon cakes with the chilli coconut sauce. Serve with lime wedges and pickled vegetables. Enjoy!

Thai School Prawn Cake

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Trim off prawns antenna, rostrum and legs with scissors then rinse through water. Rest the prawns in a strainer to remove excess water.
Prepare the batter in a mixing bowl by adding tempura flour, a pinch of salt then gradually add cold water while mixing until well combined. Put aside.
Crack an egg into a small bowl, add red curry paste then whisk together until well mixed. Transfer the egg mixture into flour batter and stir until both well combined.
Transfer school prawns into the batter and coat them evenly with a spatula.
To add something aromatic, thinly slice kaffir lime leaves then sprinkle over the mixture.

To Cook
In a saucepan, add cooking oil then turn the heat up to medium. Place an egg ring into the saucepan for a perfect round prawn cakes.
Once the oil is hot, use a spoon to carefully place the mixture into the ring.
Cook until one side is golden brown then flip to the other side. Repeat until the batter has been used up. Beware of hot oil spitting.

To Serve
Mix mayonnaise with chilli sauce then place in a ramekin. Place the school prawn cake on to a plate with the sauce. Enjoy!

Chicken and Prawn Laksa

by Leave a Comment

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.


Tom Yum Noodle Soup

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Soak the rice noodle in warm water until they soften, then set aside.

To Cook
Mix the Valcom Authentic Thai Tom Yum Paste with water in a pot and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, reduce to medium heat and let simmer.
Add in the sliced mushroom and tomatoes and let simmer for 1 min. Add in the prawns and the mussels and bring to boil for 3 mins.
Take out the prawns and the mussels and set aside so they don’t overcook.
On low heat, place the noodles in the pot and let simmer for 20 secs in the soup.
Remove the noodles into a bowl and top with the prawns and mussels.
Finish the soup with the fish sauce and sugar, then pour over the noodles when ready to serve.

To Serve
Squeeze a lime over the top and serve with some fresh coriander and chilli (optional).