To Cook
Prepare rice vermicelli by soaking in warm water until they turn soft. Drain and set aside in a colander to rid of excess water.
In a small bowl, mix chicken slices with cornstarch and 1 tsp soy sauce then, set aside to marinate.
Heat 2 tbsp oil a frying pan or wok. In the meantime, whisk 2 eggs in a bowl and fry the omelette. Set aside to cool then, slice omelette into thin long strips. The omelette will be the finishing touch to the fried bee hoon.
Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
In a frying pan or wok, heat 4 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic until aromatic, then add chicken slices and continue cooking until half done.
Add in rice vermicelli to the frying pan/wok, then followed by the seasonings. Using a pair of chopsticks or tongs, stir and mix the rice vermicelli continuously to blend well with the seasoning. Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the rice vermicelli is soft and no longer wet. Then, add in the bean sprouts and chopped spring onions and stir-fry for another couple of minutes.
Remove from heat and serve on a sharing platter or in individual plates. Top with sliced omelette, a sprinkling of chopped spring onions and fried shallots.
Vegetables
Nabeyaki Udon
To Prep
Soak kombu in the water for 30 mins in a pot and turn on the heat to medium. Remove from heat when water begins to boil.
Add bonito flakes then return to heat. Allow the water to simmer for another 1 min.
Strain the stock into a clean bowl.
To Cook
Boil the spinach in the water and drain when done. Divide into 4 portions and set aside.
Add the mirin, soy sauce, and salt to the dashi stock. Portion a quarter of the dashi stock into 4 individual sized clay pots.
Add the chicken to the soup and simmer until it has cooked through.
Add in the udon noodles, and let it cook for a few mins as per packet instructions.
Place the kamaboko and a portion of boiled spinach on top and simmer in the soup for a few mins.
Drop in an egg into the broth. Then add a few slices of leek on top.
Remove the clay pot from the heat and serve hot.
Laksa Johor
To Prep
Poach the fish until cooked. Then separate the cooked flesh from the bone. Keep the cooking liquid and bones.
Finely blend the bones, fins, and tails together with the cooking liquid using a blender.
Strain the fish stock through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
Clean and gut your prawns but reserve the head and shells. Blend the prawn flesh into a paste and reserve for later.
Boil the prawn heads and shells in 3-4 cups of water then transfer into a blender and finely blend.
Strain the prawn stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Set it aside.
Meanwhile, blend the dried shrimps and salted fish with some water until you get a paste. Reserve for later.
Finely blend the shallots, garlic, galangal, ginger, and dried chillies in a blender.
Dry toast the anise and coriander seeds in a frying pan until fragrant. Then, rind using a mortar and pestle.
Heat up some oil in a large pan or wok. Sauté the blended aromatics together with the stalk of lemongrass.
When fragrant, add in the ground herbs and curry powder. Sauté until the oil splits.
Next, add in the fish stock, followed by the prawn stock. Bring the soup up to a boil and add in the coconut milk.
Then add to the soup, the blended dried shrimp, blended salted fish, blended prawn flesh, and cooked fish flesh.
Allow the soup to simmer then add in the slices of asam keping, palm sugar, toasted coconut, torch giner, Thai basil, and Vietnamese coriander.
Season with salt and sugar to taste. Bring the soup up to a boil and allow to thicken slightly.
To Cook
Prepare the spaghetti according to packet instructions, and portion in a soup bowl.
Toss the snake beans with Thai basil and Vietnamese mint until uniformly mixed.
Garnish the noodles with cucumber, bean sprouts, and snake beans and herb mix.
Ladle the hot soup over the noodles. Serve.
Vegetarian Char Siew
To Prep
Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and knead for 15-20 mins until you get smooth dough by using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
Rest the dough at room temperature for an hour.
Transfer the dough to a basin and cover the dough with water.
“Wash” the dough as though hand washing clothes. Tip out the water when the water gets too cloudy and fill with fresh water.
“Wash” the dough until the water remains clear.
After tipping out the water, what remains is the wheat gluten.
To Cook
Cut the wheat gluten into 3 equal portions and stretch into equally long pieces.
Plait the gluten and seal the ends to help the meat gluten mimic the shape of lean meat.
Boil gluten in a pot for approximately 30mins or until it floats to the surface.
Let the cooked gluten cool to room temperature and undo the plait.
In a bowl, combine all the marinated ingredients and mix well. Next, add the wheat gluten to the bowl and coat thoroughly. Allow it to be marinated for at least 3-4 hours, preferably overnight.
Then, heat up the oil in a wok or port to deep fry.
Deep fry the gluten for about 10 mins. Remove the gluten from the oil and drain any excess oil.
Add a little oil to a frying pan, and then add the marinade. Sauté until the sauce thickens.
Slice the vegetarian char siew and drizzle the sauce over. Serve.
Nasi Lemak
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.
Cantonese Stir Fry Chicken
To Cook
Heat oil in a wok on high heat, add chicken and stir-fry until cooked through for 3-4 mins.
Add vegetables and sauce to pan and stir-fry until sauce thickens for 1-2 mins.
Garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Garlic, Chilli and Coriander Soy Dipping Sauce
To Cook
Heat cooking oil in small pan over medium heat.
Sauté garlic until slightly golden and crisp. Transfer garlic and oil to a saucer immediately to avoid garlic from being burnt and bitter.
Add the remaining ingredients into the hot oil, mix well and serve.
Chinese Spring Rolls
To Prepare Egg Rolls
Marinade minced pork with 1 tsp light soy sauce and 1tsp corn flour for 10 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/R002984-Chinese-Egg-Roll-01.jpg
Heat up frying pan with 1 tbsp oil, sauté the minced pork till 85% cooked and push them to the side.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/R002984-Chinese-Egg-Roll-02.jpg
Toss in the garlic, ginger and fungus. Fry fir 1 min.
Add in cabbage and carrot and continue to fry till cabbage and carrot is soften.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/R002984-Chinese-Egg-Roll-05.jpg
Add in rice wine, light soy sauce, sugar, sesame seed oil and pepper. Stir til all are well mixed.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/R002984-Chinese-Egg-Roll-07.jpg
Dish up and set aside to cool.
Prepare egg roll wrappers. Keep them cover with a damp kitchen towel as you work.
Take 1 piece of wrapper, scoop 1 tablespoon of the filling onto one corner.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/R002984-Chinese-Egg-Roll-08.jpg
Fold the bottom over the filling. Fold both sides and start rolling up tightly. Once reached 2” before the top corner, wet it with corn flour slurry before sealing. Place seam side down.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/R002984-Chinese-Egg-Roll-09.jpg
Heat enough oil in a medium pot. Once oil temperature reached 175C, fry 3-4 of egg rolls for 6-8 mins under medium heat. Drain away excess oil on wire rack.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/R002984-Chinese-Egg-Roll-11.jpg
Serve with sweet chilli sauce.