Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Turmeric Rice with Chicken Curry (Nasi Kunyit)

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For the Nasi Kunyit
Wash the glutinous rice and soak with turmeric powder for at least 2 hours.
Boil water in a steamer for 15 minutes. Place a muslin cloth inside the steamer and evenly spread the soaked rice onto the cloth.
To cool down the rice, use your finger or a spoon to make holes in the rice. Steam for 15 minutes and then sprinkle the rice with some water and mix into the rice. Steam for a further 15 minutes.
Add half of the coconut cream to the rice and mix well. Steam for a further 15 minutes.
Finally, add the remaining coconut cream, salt and white pepper to the rice and mix well and steam for another 3 minutes with the pandan leaves.

For the Chicken Curry
Grind or blend spice paste A ingredients together. Add in water (a third of the height of the paste).
Add spice mix B ingredients in and mix well with a spoon (adding powder to the wet paste will help to dry it out). Rest for 15 minutes.
Mix 20ml coconut cream with 270ml water to make a light coconut milk. Set aside 70ml of coconut cream.
In a pot or wok and cooking oil, cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves and fry quickly at medium heat. Add the spice mix and saute. Keep stirring to prevent the paste from sticking to the sides of the wok or pan.
When the bubbles become smaller, add in the chicken. Keep stirring to make sure the chicken is coated with the curry paste. Maintain heat on medium to avoid burning the chicken.
Add the light coconut milk and potatoes and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium to allow the chicken to cook and reduce the gravy by half (this should take about 20 minutes).
When the chicken is tender add salt and the remaining 70ml of coconut milk and bring to the boil for 2 minutes. Serve warm with nasi kunyit.

Japanese Chicken & Egg Rice Bowls (Oyakodon)

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To Cook
Cut the onions in half lengthwise, from top to bottom. Cut each half into ¼ inch slices and cutting lengthwise.
Combine the onions, mirin, chicken, soy sauce, sake and dashi in a saucepan and place over high heat. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Mix the ingredients occasionally as they cook.
To prepare the oyakodon one serving at a time, break 2 eggs into a bowl, and lightly beat the eggs. You want part of the yolk and whites to be lightly mixed, while the other parts are still separated.
Transfer one fourth of the chicken mixture (about 1½ cups chicken, onions and broth) to a small skillet. Place the skillet over high heat. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat so the broth is simmering.
Pour three-fourths of the egg mixture over the chicken, onions, and broth, Do not mix. Cook for about 1 minute, and then add the remaining one-fourth egg over the ingredients in the skillet. Cover the skillet and cook for 30 seconds more. Turn off the heat, and let the oyakodon rest, covered, for 1 minute.
While the oyakodon is resting, scoop the cooked rice into a serving bowl. When the oyakodon is ready, uncover and slide the entire contents out of the skillet to rest over the rice. Tilt the skillet and use a spatula if necessary as the oyakodon should slide out easily. Garnish with nori, mitsuba and scallions. Add shichimi togarashi to accentuate the taste. Serve immediately and repeat this preparation for the remaining servings.

Potato Croquettes (Potato Korokke)

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To Cook
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Arrange the potatoes on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes, until a knife goes through the potatoes easily. When the potatoes have cooled, peel and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion for about 1 minute, until they turn translucent. Add the pork and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until the pork cooks through. Transfer to a large mixing bowl when cooked.
Add the potatoes to the pork and mash together until just combined. Add the soy sauce, sugar pepper and mash together. Add the heavy cream and mash until all the ingredients are just combined.
Transfer the potato mixture to a sheet pan and spread it out to make a flat disk about ½ inch thick. Place in the refrigerator uncovered to cool and firm up for about 1 hour.
While the potato mixture is cooling, prepare 4 plates. Pour the flour onto the first plate, beaten eggs, panko into the subsequent plates separately. Pour the beaten egg onto the second plate and pour the panko onto the third plate. On the fourth plate, leave it empty as this plate will hold the breaded korokke.
Place a cast-iron skillet on a burner. Fill the skillet with vegetable oil to a height of at least 1 inch. Attach a deep-fry (or “candy”) thermometer to the side of the skillet. On a work surface near the skillet, set up a tray lined with paper towels to drain the cooked korokke.
When the potato mixture is ready, remove from the refrigerator and cut into 8 even pieces. Form 8 korokke patties, one at a time. Wet your hands, then place one of the pieces of the cooled potato mixture onto your palm. With both hands, gently form it into a flat, oval patty. Repeat for the remaining patties.
Turn on the heat under the skillet to high. Heat the oil to 170°C.
While the oil is heating, bread the korokke patties one at a time. First, dredge a patty in flour on both sides and shake off the excess flour. Second, dip the patty in the egg, coating both sides. Finally, lay the patty on the panko crumbs. Pile panko on top of the korokke with your fingers, then gently press the panko onto the patty so a generous layer of panko sticks on both sides. Be careful to handle the korokke very gently so it doesn’t break apart. Place the completed korokke on the empty plate. Repeat with the remaining patties.
When the oil has reached 170°C, carefully slide the korokke into the skillet. Deep-fry to korokke in batches. Regulate the heat to maintain a constant 170°C oil temperature. If the oil is too hot, the korokke will burn; if too low, the korokke will come out soggy and greasy.
Cook the korokke for about 3 minutes, until they heat through and turn golden brown (they’re already cooked inside). When they’re ready, transfer the korokke to the paper-lined plate to cool.
Serve immediately, with tonkatsu sauce.

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.

Indonesian Grilled Fish in Banana Leaves (Pepes Ikan)

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To Cook
Place the fish pieces into a blender or food processor and pulse for a few seconds, then add all the other ingredients, except the banana leaves and grind to a thick paste. Set aside.
To make the banana leaves flexible so you can fold easily, scald the banana leaves by pouring boiling water over them in a basin. Drain and place the leaves on a clean work surface. Scoop 3 heaped tablespoons of the fish mixture onto the centre each piece of banana leaf (or aluminium foil). With a firm hold, fold one side of the banana leaf over the other to form an elongated package. Then hold the ends of the banana leaves and fold in both corners to form a triangular tip. Seal package on both ends with toothpicks. Repeat until all the fish mixture is used up.
Grill each parcel directly over the hot charcoal or in a preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, turning from time to time until the banana leaf wrapper is charred. Serve them hot.

Red Braised Lion’s Head Meatballs (Hong Shao Shi Zi Tou)

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To Prep
Make the potato starch flurry by combining the potato starch and water together and mixing. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the pork and the water together and mix. Add in the ginger, water chestnuts, scallion, rice wine, sesame oil and salt. Stir well to combine and then divide in to 5 large meat balls.
To help sear the meatballs, dust them lightly with cornstarch.

To Cook
In a wok or frying pan, heat up the oil over a high heat. When the wok begins to lightly smoke, add in the meatballs and fry until the meatballs have evenly browned.
When the meatballs have browned, remove them from the wok and set them aside. Don’t worry about if the meatballs are still uncooked as they will be braised.
In a steamer, steam the wombok leaves until the leaves are soft and wilted. Remove them from the steamer and set them aside.
In a claypot, place some of the wombok leaves on to the bottom to form a base. Add in the meatballs and pour in the stock, soy sauce and sugar. Cover the meatballs with the remaining wombok leaves and cover with the lid.
Set the claypot on to a stove and bring to a boil over a high heat before reducing to a simmer and letting braise for 60-90 mins.

To Serve
When the dish has finished braising, transfer the meatballs on to a serving plate and garnish with the wombok leaves.
Retain the braising liquid and add in the slurry to thicken the broth. Spoon the thickened broth on to the serving plate and garnish with spring onions.

Lion’s Head (Shi Zi Tou) Meatballs with Mung Bean Threads

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To Prep
In a mixing bowl, break up the tofu in to really small pieces.
Add minced pork, soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil, wine, minced ginger, 1 tbsp of salt and corn starch into the mixing bowl. Mix well.
Start making your meatballs. It should be the size of your fist as it is called Lion’s Head.

To Cook
In a frying pan, add oil and heat over medium heat. In small batches, sear meatballs until golden brown on one side carefully as you do not want to break them. Rotate them to sear evenly and to maintain its round meatball shape. Transfer seared meatballs to a bowl.
Retain the fat and oil from cooking the meatballs and add in the wombok to saute until they have turned slightly yellow and wilted. Remove the wombok from the pan and set aside.
In a claypot, add meatballs, followed by shiitake mushrooms and stock. Bring to boil and simmer for 30-45 mins. Add wombok to the claypot 10 mins before serving.
Then add the soaked mung bean threads to the pot, close the lid. This should take about 1-2 mins to cook.

To Serve
Remove the claypot from the stove and garnish with spring onions on top. Serve immediately with rice.

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.

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.

Potato Croquettes (Begedil)

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To Cook
Pan fry potatoes until cooked through and golden brown. Set aside.
Pan fry dried shrimps until it’s aromatic for approximately 3-5 minutes.
Mash potatoes up using a masher.
Dish into a bowl, add fried shrimps, parsley leaves, fried shallots, salt and pepper and mix well.
Shape into patties and coat over with egg.
Pan-fry or deep-fry on medium heat until golden brown on both sides.